Man charged following reports of forced entry to the mortuary at Grimsby Hospital
Police say they believed it to be an isolated incident
A Grimsby man's appeared in court in connection with a forced entry into a mortuary at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in the town.
29-year-old Damon Tingay of Grimsby has been charged with a sexual offence and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence against a deceased adult and intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance following an incident where forced entry was gained to the mortuary, which is a restricted area of the hospital, at around 4.30am.
Tingay was initially arrested on suspicion of burglary, however whilst in Police custody, following further enquiries, he was also arrested on suspicion of sexual offences.
He appeared at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court this morning (Tuesday, 19 March) where he was remanded into custody until his next appearance on Monday, 22 April at Grimsby Crown Court.
Leading the investigation, Detective Chief Inspector 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, especially considering other investigations Humberside Police have been dealing with over the last few weeks in Hull and East Yorkshire, however I want to offer my reassurance that we believe this incident at DPOW Hospital to be an isolated incident and not connected to any other investigation.”