Mum, 37, 'suffered heart attack' after she was 'repeatedly raped by stranger' on bench – as jurors left crying over CCTV

10/04/2024 03:30 PM

A MUM-OF-THREE died from a heart attack after being repeatedly raped by a stranger, a court heard as jurors ‘cried’ over CCTV.

Natalie Shotter, 37, was enjoying a night out before Mohamed Iidow, 35, allegedly launched his brutal attack while she lay unconscious.

The Old Bailey heard the how Natalie was sexually assaulted and died on a park bench.

Jurors were told Iidow, who is on trial accused of rape and manslaughter in Southall Park, west London, was “seeking out a vulnerable woman" the night horror unfolded.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC today told the court that the mum-of-three died of a heart attack caused by Iidow raping her "again and again".

CCTV footage was shown of Natalie sitting on a bench with a different man when, the prosecution say, the defendant walked past and looked at them.

He then left the park before returning a short while later.

Jurors broke down when they watched more video evidence that allegedly revealed Iidow repositioning Natalie’s body as he raped her.

A male member of the jury cried as the footage was shown and two female jury members looked away as it played.

Natalie had been on the bench laying down with “no clear movement” for about 30 minutes before Iidow walked up to her “nonchalantly”, the court heard.

During the alleged attack, the NHS worker had been "deeply unconscious", added Ms Morgan.

"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," she told the court.

Ms Morgan 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 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."

A passer-by found Natalie’s dead body in the park in the early morning of July 17 2021, the court heard previously.

Jurors were told after the alleged attack, the defendant drove back to his home in Hounslow, west London, via a Shell garage where he stopped to buy cat food and mouthwash.

Swabs taken from Natalie’s body matched DNA samples taken from the defendant, the court heard.

Iidow has denied the charges against him and the trial was adjourned until Monday.

In a police interview, the defendant said Natalie had offered him oral sex for £10. 

A toxicology report showed that she was over three times the legal driving limit, but that nothing she had consumed was likely to have caused her to die.