Man found guilty of rape and manslaughter of woman on London park bench

A man who repeatedly sexually assaulted an unconscious mum on a park bench before was found dead hours later has been found guilty.

WARNING: Distressing

A man who raped an unconscious mum-of-three on a park bench before she was found dead hours later has been found guilty.

Mohamed Iidow, 35, was prowling a park looking for vulnerable women when he raped Natalie Shotter, 37, multiple times after finding her passed out, The Sun reports.

The vile attack caused the NHS worker to suffer a heart attack. She was found dead by a member of the public hours later.

Jurors at London’s Old Bailey Court wept as they were shown footage of the horror attack at Southall Park, West London, on July 17, 2021.

Mohamed Iidow has been found guilty of the rape and manslaughter. Picture: PA

Iidow, who was a complete stranger to Ms Shotter, was found guilty of rape and manslaughter. He will be sentenced on December 14.

The Old Bailey previously heard how, earlier that night, Ms Shotter had been captured on CCTV dancing outside a shop with other people.

She was then seen sitting on a bench with a different man when Iidow walked past and looked at them.

“What was the defendant doing there, what was he seeking to do?” prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said.

“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.”

Iidow then left the park and drove away in his car, but returned later on.

Ms Shotter had been lying down and showed “no clear movement” for around half an hour before Iidow approached her “nonchalantly”.

“Natalie Shotter does not appear to have been conscious at the time that she was raped, let alone consenting to the defendant,” Ms Morgan said.

“He could never have believed that she was consenting.

“It was the process of raping Natalie repeatedly that caused her death.”

Further CCTV showed Iidow moving her body around in different positions as he raped her.

Ms Shotter was little more than 5ft tall and weighed just 43kg.

The mother-of-three was found dead by a member of the public. Picture: PA

Natalie Shotter had enjoyed a night out before the horrific attack. Picture: Central News

The defendant then drove back to his home in Hounslow, West London, via a petrol station where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash.

“Very sadly, by the time she was found, she had died, and it was obvious that she had been dead for a number of hours,” Ms Morgan said.

“She had not been stabbed or beaten to death, there were no obvious signs of significant injury to her body and there was nobody else with her.

“It has taken time to understand what must have happened to Natalie that night to understand what it was that must have caused her death.

“Crucially a CCTV camera at some distance away from the bench on which she was found would reveal what had happened to her that night.”

Ms Shotter was found dead early in the morning of July 17, 2021.

Swabs taken from her mouth area matched DNA samples taken from Iidow.

He was subsequently arrested at his home on August 4, 2021.

Iidow later claimed in his police interview the sexual activity was consensual.

But he was found guilty by a unanimous verdict on Friday, local time.

Ms Shotter with her mum. Picture: Central News

Ms Shotter’s family sobbed in the well of the court as the verdict was passed.

“Iidow’s predatory attack on Natalie was disturbing and shocking,” Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Specialist Crime South who led the investigation, said.

“This man drove to the park that night and took advantage of a vulnerable woman who should have been safe.

“Even after his arrest, Iidow attempted to claim that his actions were consensual.

“This case has deeply affected those involved, due to its rarity and tragic details.

“We needed to prove Natalie’s death was caused by being raped and that involved diligent work using experts in this field to charge and now convict Iidow.

“I commend the strength of Natalie’s friends and family who have had to listen to these details throughout the trial. Iidow is now facing a long term of imprisonment.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Man found guilty of rape and manslaughter of woman on London park bench