Man jailed for sexual act on dead woman's body

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 05:32 · Archive

A 62-year-old man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to a sexual act on a woman's dead body.

Stephen Sellars, aged 62, of Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire, was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Hull Crown Court after pleading guilty to performing a sexual act on a woman's dead body. The woman had died at home eight weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. Sellars was discovered by the victim's son and nephew, who returned to the house while he was committing the assault. He then dressed and ran from the property.

The victim's son said in a statement to the court that the incident had a "massive impact" on him and described it as "unimaginable". The court heard the victim was a "very proud woman" whose family had tried to "preserve her dignity" throughout her illness.

Prosecutor Rachel Scott presented text messages between the victim's son and Sellars as evidence. In those messages, Sellars claimed he "was smashed" and "I didn't know what came over me". He had originally denied the act in police interviews before changing his plea to guilty.

Judge John Thackray KC noted that if the offence had taken place less than a month later, he would have been able to impose a maximum sentence of seven years due to a recent legal change. Under the law at the time of the offence, the maximum sentence was two years, which the judge reduced to 16 months owing to Sellars' early guilty plea.

How it is being reported

• Stephen Sellars: Man jailed for performing intercourse with woman’s corpse after she died of cancerA man has been jailed for carrying out an ‘unimaginable’ offence with a woman’s dead body after she died from cancer.The West Australian · 17 Oct, 05:04
• Stephen Sellars: Man jailed for performing intercourse with woman’s corpse after she died of cancerA man has been jailed for carrying out an ‘unimaginable’ offence with a woman’s dead body after she died from cancer.Perth Now · 17 Oct, 05:04

In this story: Stephen Sellars · Hibaldstow · North Lincolnshire · Hull Crown Court · John Thackray KC · Rachel Scott

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