A horrific tragedy unfolded when a mother of three was raped and killed while unconscious on a park bench after a night out, a court was told. Natalie Shotter, aged 37, had been enjoying a night out before she was allegedly attacked by a stranger, identified as Mohamed Iidow.

Natalie, who worked as an NHS employee, was discovered lifeless in Southall Park, West London, by a passer-by in the early hours of July 17, 2021, the court at the Old Bailey heard. Homeless Iidow, 35, is currently on trial, facing charges of rape and manslaughter in connection with her death.

During the opening of the case on Wednesday, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC explained: "The prosecution's case is that Natalie was a vulnerable woman, out at night enjoying herself, who was then taken advantage of by this defendant." She further emphasized that: "Natalie Shotter does not appear to have been conscious at the time that she was raped, let alone consenting to the defendant."

Morgan highlighted to the jury that Iidow could not have believed there was any possibility of consent. "He could never have believed that she was consenting. It was the process of raping Natalie repeatedly that caused her death." The court was informed that it had taken time to piece together the details of what happened to Natalie that fateful night and what exactly led to her death.

CCTV footage played an important role in the investigation. The footage reportedly showed Natalie barely moving, supporting the argument that she had been unconscious during the attack. Ms. Morgan pointed out to the jury that given her lack of movement, it was clear that Natalie could not have consented to what had happened.

Jurors were informed they would be shown further CCTV footage from the park where Natalie Shotter tragically died, which would display Mohamed Iidow assaulting her. The case has taken time to piece together, with crucial evidence slowly surfacing. "It has taken time to understand what must have happened to Natalie to cause her death. Crucially, a CCTV camera at some distance away from the bench reveals what happened to her that night," prosecutor Alison Morgan KC explained.

Ms. Morgan painted a distressing picture of Natalie’s vulnerability, noting her struggles with mental health, alcohol dependency, and drug abuse. "On the night in question, Natalie was out enjoying herself and was taken advantage of by this defendant," Ms. Morgan told the jury. The court was presented with the harsh reality that Natalie, a woman already struggling with personal challenges, fell victim to a horrific act of violence that would ultimately claim her life.

Ms. Morgan elaborated further, stating that Natalie had been raped repeatedly, and it was this repeated assault that led to her death. "She was raped repeatedly by this defendant, and it was the process of raping her, again and again, that caused her death," she told the jury. Even though the CCTV footage was grainy and taken from a distance, it was clear enough to reveal the defendant engaging in acts of oral penetration. "Although it is grainy and at a distance, the CCTV footage shows the defendant engaging in acts of oral penetration," Ms. Morgan said, leaving no doubt about the seriousness of the crime.

One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the footage was Natalie’s lack of movement, indicating that she was unconscious during the attack. "From the footage and the absence of movement by her, Natalie does not appear to have been conscious at the time she was raped, let alone consenting to what the defendant was doing to her," Ms. Morgan explained. This emphasized that Iidow could not have believed she was consenting. "He could never have believed that she was consenting. This defendant's actions – the process of raping her repeatedly – caused Natalie's death," Ms. Morgan reiterated to the court.

The jury also heard about Natalie’s physical vulnerability on the night of the attack. Standing just over 5ft tall and weighing only six and a half stone (43kg), she was in no position to defend herself. "Ms. Shotter was very vulnerable on the night of the attack. She measured little more than 5ft and weighed just over six and a half stone (43kg)," the jurors were told, underscoring her fragility in the face of such brutality.

Earlier in the night, CCTV footage captured a more cheerful moment, showing Ms. Shotter dancing outside a shop with others. This image stands in stark contrast to the tragic events that would follow. The court was again reminded of Natalie’s vulnerability, both physically and due to the substances she had consumed that evening. Jurors were told that Natalie stood at little more than 5ft tall and weighed just 43kg (6st 11lb).

The evening had seen her drinking throughout, and there was a suggestion that she may have also inhaled poppers, a legal high known as amyl nitrate. However, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC made it clear that these substances did not directly lead to her death. "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 explained to the court.

The nature of Natalie’s death remained a puzzle for some time. "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," Ms. Morgan noted. This lack of physical trauma initially complicated the investigation, as detectives worked to uncover what had truly caused her death.

It was only after a painstaking process of reviewing the available evidence that the full picture began to emerge. "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," Ms. Morgan told the jurors. As mentioned earlier, CCTV footage from a distance captured what happened while Natalie lay on the park bench. "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. Morgan revealed.

Though the legal high poppers had been part of the evening’s events, Ms. Morgan emphasized that they were not the cause of Natalie’s death. "The prosecution's case is that consuming substances made Natalie all the more vulnerable," she said, adding that while these substances did not directly cause her death, they may have contributed to the circumstances that led her to be in such a vulnerable position. "It did not cause her death, but it may well explain how it was that she came to be on that bench in the park, on her own, in the middle of the night, lying on her side, vulnerable to males in that park."

Reviewing letter

After a post-mortem examination, authorities were still unable to determine the cause of Natalie Shotter’s death. "No cause of death was established," they said, adding a layer of uncertainty to an already tragic case. As part of the ongoing investigation, a 32-year-old man was arrested but later released on bail, as the search for answers continues.

The Metropolitan Police issued a statement providing further details about the night before Natalie’s body was found. "The evening before Natalie was found dead, two officers on duty in the local area were approached and spoken to by a friend of hers who had been with her in the park and was concerned she seemed unwell," the spokesperson said. The officers, however, did not act on the information they were given. "The officers, who were dealing with another incident at the time, did not enter the park or take any further actions following the conversation," they explained, confirming that no immediate steps were taken to check on Natalie’s wellbeing.

An internal investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) concluded that the officers' conduct fell short of expectations but did not reach the level of misconduct. "An investigation by the DPS found that they should be referred to the Unsatisfactory Performance Procedure but that their actions did not amount to misconduct," the spokesperson added. Despite this finding, the officers will now face proceedings related to unsatisfactory performance.

In light of these developments, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are currently reviewing a letter from Natalie Shotter’s mother, Dr. Shotter Weetman, which raises concerns about the DPS decision and how it was reached. Dr. Shotter Weetman’s letter is an attempt to hold the police accountable for what she views as failures that could have saved her daughter's life.

A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also addressed the situation. "We received a complaint referral from the Metropolitan Police Service in October 2022 in relation to this matter," the IOPC spokesperson said. After assessing the complaint, the IOPC decided that a local investigation by the police was appropriate. "The complaint was assessed, and we decided that a local investigation by the force was appropriate," the spokesperson clarified.

The spokesperson further explained that the complainant, Dr. Shotter Weetman, has been informed that if she remains unsatisfied with the outcome of the investigation, she will have the right to request a review by the IOPC. "The complainant was advised and notified that they will have a right to review to the IOPC at the end of the investigation should they be unsatisfied with the outcome."