Dad-of-three who broke into mortuary and defiled bodies jailed

A dad-of-three who broke into a mortuary and defiled two bodies has been jailed.

Damon Tingay “violated and defiled” bodies after he broke into the mortuary of the Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, in the early hours of the morning on 17 March

Grimsby Crown Court heard Tingay rummaged through numerous fridges and disturbed the shrouds covering the dead before he performed sex acts on two male bodies.

Tingay was in the mortuary for around four minutes undisturbed before being discovered by hospital staff and attempting to flee.

Behind him, he left a “horrifying scene” the court was told, as the 30-year-old pled guilty to the sexual penetration of a corpse and trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.

On Friday, Tingay was sentenced to six years in prison and an extended licence period of four years by a judge who called his actions “perverted and utterly grotesque”.

The court heard statements from the mum and aunt of one of the patients who Tingay attacked.

They described the “incredible pain when they discovered what had happened to a dear and precious loved member of their family”.

Prosecutor Jeremy Evans said it was “something they will remember for the rest of their lives” and the man’s aunt had suffered a flare-up of multiple sclerosis due to the stress “caused by discovering a family member had been violated in such a manner”.

A statement from the brother of a man who was disturbed when his drawer was opened said he suffered nightmares and had been “traumatised” by the fact his brother’s body “had been disturbed in a place where he trusted he would be safe and at peace”.

The court was told how Tingay cycled onto the hospital grounds at around 2.50am and spent about two hours on site – trying to keep away from security guards.

Sentencing the defendant, Judge John Thackray KC told him: “When you thought you had evaded them you entered the mortuary by forcing an external door.

“What happens thereafter is shown on CCTV.”

Footage played in court showed Tingay drinking from a bottle, before entering the mortuary – the door had no lock and was only held closed by a magnet.

CCTV from inside the mortuary was shown to the judge privately.

Mr Evans said 10 bodies were disturbed by Tingay opening the fridges or removing their shrouds before he committed his horrific acts.

At one point Tingay attempted to lift one patient out by their blanket, and appeared to strike another with his fist, the hearing was told.

After being disturbed by hospital staff, he was detained by security guards when he tried to flee the mortuary.

In a statement, one member of staff said: “I have seen a lot in my career. This was one of the worst things I have seen in my life.

“It was the indignity, the lack of respect. I couldn’t stop crying.”

Mr Evans said that when Tingay was arrested he was shouting and screaming he had done nothing wrong and at one point claimed he had been blamed for a friend’s suicide and was seeking answers.

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In an interview with police, he said he had no memory of the incident.

Craig Lowe, defending, said Tingay wanted to “offer a wholehearted apology” and said the offending was “clearly out of character for this friendly, kind, considerate man”.

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The judge warned if Tingay had not been disturbed there would have been even more victims, adding: “There is undoubtedly a very, very dark side to you.”

As well as the prison sentence, Tingay was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for life.

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