A homeless man who killed an NHS worker mother-of-three by repeatedly orally raping her as she lay unconscious on a park bench has been jailed for life.
Mohamed Iidow, 35, launched a vile sex attack on Natalie Shotter, 37, in Southall Park, west London, after a night out in July 2021.
Ms Shotter died of a heart attack caused by Iidow raping her ‘again and again’ during a hellish 15 minutes of abuse.
Sex fiend Iidow was high on cocaine and had been prowling the park looking for women to assault when he found Natalie lying on the bench.
So savage was the horrific sex attack, that when jurors at the Old Bailey were shown footage of it, they wept.
The ‘wicked’ predator has since been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 10 years and eight months behind bars for Ms Shotter’s rape and manslaughter.
Jailing him, Judge Richard Marks, KC, the Common Serjeant of London, said Iidow had taken advantage of an ‘extremely vulnerable’ Ms Shotter after going to the park to ‘look for sex’.
‘During the 15 minutes or so while you were with her she was very clearly not conscious and therefore extremely vulnerable as would have been obvious to you,’ the judge said.
Mohamed Iidow, 35, launched a vile sex attack on Natalie Shotter, 37, in Southall Park, west London, after a night out in July 2021
Mother-of-three Natalie Shotter, 37, was attacked as she lay unconscious on a park bench after a night out
Ms Shotter had been dead for hours before she was found by a passer-by in Southall Park, west London, on 17 July 2021
‘She was obviously not capable of consenting to any sexual activity and you had clearly formed an intention to rape her.
‘Taking advantage of her in the highly vulnerable state she clearly was in was wicked and utterly reckless.’
Even though there had never been a recorded case before of someone dying as a result of oral sex, there was a ‘high risk’ that she would suffer really serious harm from what he did to her over ‘several minutes’, the judge said.
Iidow was a ‘dangerous offender’ and had even engaged in ‘explicit’ sexual chat online with a girl he thought was aged 13 in August 2022 while under investigation for rape. The ‘girl’ turned out to be an undercover police officer.
Speaking outside court today, Ms Shotter’s mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, an NHS cardiology practitioner, said she was overjoyed by Iidow’s sentence.
‘We’re absolutely thrilled with the outcome of the life sentence that’s been given today… justice has definitely been done,’ she told Sky News.
Earlier, she described her daughter as a ‘bundle of joy’ who at the age of 12 had starred in the hit musical.
Ms Shotter had secured a place at the prestigious performing arts BRIT School in Croydon and had opportunities to work in theatre and television, she said.
As an adult, she became a mother of three children and worked for the British Heart Foundation before getting a job in clinical administration at her local NHS hospital.
Ms Shotter’s mother, Dr Cas Shotter Weetman (left), an NHS cardiology practitioner, described her daughter (seen right) as a ‘bundle of joy’
Dr Shotter Weetman said: ‘She was brilliant at her job, kind to staff and patients alike.
‘The day I found out about Nat, I felt absolutely sick and I felt a terrible feeling of doom. I was in absolute shock.
‘I then had to later learn from the police that my daughter had died in these horrific circumstances.
‘When Mohamed Iidow – and that is the only time I will say his name – was finally charged I was so glad but I realised everything was still to come.
‘Watching the CCTV of my daughter being raped was desperately sad to see. No mother should have to see that.’
Addressing the defendant, she went on: ‘Hearing the medical evidence how you caused my daughter’s death destroyed my family.
‘No woman should have to fear going to a park and sitting on a bench. It’s disgusting.
‘You went after a vulnerable woman. She was a lovely mum, a great sister and daughter, a great kid. We are missing our beautiful girl.’
Father Andrew Shotter recalled his ‘feisty’ daughter with ‘wonderful memories’ of her performing in Les Miserables in front of thousands of people.
He said: ‘Hearing what happened in the last moments of her life was horrific.’
The former ambulance service worker added: ‘I feel powerless. In my head I am screaming to her not to go into the park. I cannot save her from that man.’
Mother-of-three Ms Shotter had been seen dancing in the street before she passed out on bench and was savagely sexually assaulted
Ms Shotter’s partner, Anthony Wilson, said in his statement the thought of her killer made him ‘angry’ and that his new role of single father made him feel ‘stretched in every aspect’.
During the trial, the court had heard how Ms Shotter had been seen happily dancing in the street before going into the park after a night out.
Jurors had viewed CCTV of Iidow walking past the victim three times in a ‘predatory’ way as she sat on the bench.
Half an hour later, she was lying down, showing ‘no clear movement’ when the defendant approached her ‘nonchalantly’, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said.
She was ‘deeply unconscious’ when Iidow repeatedly raped her orally, even moving Ms Shotter’s body around in different positions, the court was told.
Afterwards, the defendant drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, via a Shell garage where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash.
Ms Shotter, whose three children are aged between five and 19, was found dead by a passer-by in the park in the early morning of July 17 2021.
She was a little more than five foot tall and weighed just 43kg at the time of her death, the Old Bailey heard.
Iidow overstimulated the nerves at the back of her throat in the assault and caused her to have a cardiac arrest.
It is the first recorded case of an assault causing that effect.
‘In terms of the medical evidence what actually happened is unprecedented in terms of any kind of recorded history,’ Judge Marks said.
Defence barrister Peter Glenser, KC, suggest Iidow had not intended ‘serious harm’.
Judge Marks said: ‘He repeatedly over many minutes and vigorously thrust his penis into and out of her mouth and it seems top me against that background there was a high risk of really serious harm that ought to have been obvious to your client.’
Natalie Shotter, 37, was found dead on a bench at Southall Park on July 17, 2021
Mr Glenser said Iidow could not have foreseen death because ‘no one in the annals of medical literature has ever died in this way before’.
Initially police treated Ms Shotter’s death as unexpected, then arrested Lidow on August 4 2021.
Dr Weetman earlier criticised the Met Police after two officers allegedly told Ms Shotter’s friend they could do nothing to help her.
She led a campaign for justice for her daughter and believes that a culture of misogyny in the Met contributed to her death.
Iidow was charged with manslaughter and rape on December 21 2023 and convicted of both charges by the jury of eight men and four women.
Ms Shotter’s family sobbed in the well of the court as Iidow was found guilty by a unanimous verdict.
Four members of the jury returned to watch the sentencing today.
Following the sentencing, Kirsty O’Connor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘Natalie Shotter had been on a night out enjoying herself and she was preyed upon by Mohamed Iidow. He raped her repeatedly, while she was unconscious, which caused her death.
‘The investigation was extremely complex and involved working closely with the police and expert witnesses to establish what had happened to the victim and what led to her death.
‘During police interviews, he stated that Natalie was alive and consenting to the sexual activity with him.
‘However, CCTV footage has proved that to not be the case, with the victim unconscious during the entire attack.
‘The CPS is determined to deliver justice for victims of rape. Tragically, this vile attack cost Natalie her life and we’d like to express our deepest condolences to her children and loved ones at this time.
‘Natalie’s family have shown extreme courage and dignity throughout what has been a harrowing investigation and trial. We thank them for their support and continue to offer them our sincere condolences for the devastating loss of Natalie.’