Mum of NHS worker raped to death in park ‘jubilant’ at killer’s guilty verdict

The mum of an NHS worker who died during a depraved sex attack while lying passed out on a park bench has said her family is ‘celebrating’ her killer’s guilty verdicts.

Mohammed Iidow, 35, had been prowling Southall Park in west London looking for a woman to rape when he found Natalie Shotter, 37, unconscious on the early hours of July 17, 2021.

Mum-of-three Ms Shotter suffered a heart attack after being orally raped ‘again and again’, the Old Bailey heard.

Jurors were left in tears after having to watch the horrifying 15-minute CCTV of the attack.

Iidow, whose barrister suggested Ms Shotter may have already been dead by the time he encountered her in the park, was found guilty of manslaughter and rape on Friday.

Ms Shotter’s mother, NHS cardiology practitioner Dr Cas Shotter Weetman, said the family is celebrating Iidow’s conviction.

She said: ‘We’re delighted for her children and that we finally, finally, after three and a half years, have got justice for Nat,’ adding that she was a ‘beautiful soul’.

The Common Serjeant of London, Judge Richard Marks, KC, adjourned sentence until December 14.

During the trial, Ms Morgan said Ms Shotter had died of a heart attack caused by Iidow raping her ‘again and again’.

Earlier, CCTV footage was shown of Ms Shotter sitting on a bench with a different man when the defendant walked past and looked at them.

‘What was the defendant doing there, what was he seeking to do, walking up and down the paths in the middle of the night and thinking about what his objectives must have been – seeking out a vulnerable woman to rape,’ Ms Morgan said.

Iidow then left the park and drove away in his car before he returned.

Ms Shotter was lying down, showing ‘no clear movement’ for around half-an-hour before the defendant approached her ‘nonchalantly’, Ms Morgan said.

During the attack, the victim had been ‘deeply unconscious’, she said.

Further CCTV showed the defendant moving Ms Shotter’s body around in different positions as he raped her.

Ms Morgan said: ‘That night out, and consuming what she did made her vulnerable, vulnerable to males, vulnerable to this defendant but it did not kill her.’

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 was found dead by a passer-by in the park in the early morning of July 17, 2021.

Swabs taken from her mouth area matched DNA samples taken from the defendant.

Iidow was arrested at his home on August 4, 2021, and claimed in his police interview the sexual activity was consensual.

But Iidow’s barristers argued that Lidow may not have caused the death – or that Ms Shotter was dead before he came across her.

Peter Glenser, KC, defending, told jurors: ‘There is no evidence that Ms Shotter moved after 11.41pm, you cannot exclude the possibility that she is dead.’

Ms Morgan had rejected any suggestion that Ms Shotter was already dead before she was assaulted by Iidow.

She told jurors: ‘The prosecution’s case is that Natalie died as a result of what was done to her by this defendant.

‘She was not dead at the time when the defendant was orally raping her, it will be a matter for you to consider – that this defendant went to the park for a reason.

‘He would not have sought to have sex with a dead body for over 15 minutes, he was having sex with someone he knew was alive but was deeply unconscious and therefore he was raping her.’

Iidow had denied the charges against him but declined to give evidence.

After the guilty verdict he was remanded into custody to be sentenced on December 13.

Ms Shotter’s mother, who has worked for the NHS for 45 years, added: ‘We’re celebrating, obviously we’re jubilant, absolutely jubilant about the outcome, I can’t tell you what it means to us.

‘She was a beautiful, beautiful girl, an NHS worker, worked for charities, mother of three, just the most amazing soul, (and) kind.

‘She had so much to give, so much more to give.’

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