Man charged with hospital mortuary sex offences

Humberside Police believe it was an isolated incident at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital.

A man has appeared in court charged with committing sexual offences on corpses in a hospital mortuary.

Damon Tingay, of no fixed abode, was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance after being discovered in the restricted area of the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.

The 29-year-old was charged with trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence against a deceased adult after he was found in the mortuary.

He was initially arrested on suspicion of burglary after an incident in the restricted area of the hospital in the early hours of Sunday 17 March.

Mr Tingay appeared at Grimsby Magistrates' Court earlier and was remanded into custody ahead of an appearance at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday 22 April.

'Isolated incident'

Det Ch Insp Nicole Elliott said: "The details of this report will cause concern and I want to offer my assurance we have been treating this incident as a priority.

"We are working incredibly closely with our partners at the NHS and the Coroner, to ensure all family members of the deceased who were inside the mortuary have been contacted, and our specially trained officers are continuing to support the families of those who have been affected.

"Understandably, the nature of this report will cause alarm however I want to offer my reassurance that we believe this to be an isolated incident and not connected to any other investigation.”