A dangerous Lincoln man who was found guilty of a string of sexual offences including rape was today (Monday) jailed for 21 years.
Shaun Otter, 52, must also serve an extended licence period of six years on his release from jail after a judge concluded he was “dangerous,” making a total sentence of 27 years.
Otter, of Shakespeare Street, Lincoln, had denied eleven sexual offences but was found guilty after a trial at Lincoln Crown Court.
The court heard Otter made threats to kill his victim and anyone else she told about the abuse. She felt “petrified” by his threats, the court was told.
However, the woman, who can not be named to protect her anonymity, found the courage to complain in 2018.
Steven Gosnell, prosecuting, read out a victim impact statement from Otter’s victim.
In her statement the woman described how she was left “constantly looking over her shoulder,” and had trouble sleeping.
She described having suicidal thoughts in her head, but added: “The love I have for my family and friends pulled me through day by day.”
The woman explained: “It’s never going to go away, but justice helps.”
Anna Soubry, mitigating, admitted: “It is an extremely serious case. There is no doubt about that.
“Mr Otter recognises he is going to get a substantial custodial sentence.”
Miss Soubry told the court Otter did not have any previous sexual convictions.
“It has never been suggested he has abused anyone else,” Miss Soubry added.
Miss Soubry said the reality was that Otter would die in custody.
However Recorder Graham Huston said Otter’s previous abuse of drugs and other reports of inappropriate behaviour towards women meant his risk of further offending was high, and the judge assessed he was dangerous.
Passing sentence Recorder Huston told Otter his offending had the “most lasting and profound” impact on his victim.
“You only cared for yourself,” Recorder Huston added. “You are the very antithesis of a caring human being.”
Detective Inspector Lee Nixon, of Lincolnshire Police Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit said: “I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of the victim. We know it’s an incredibly daunting thing to do to come forward and therefore we owe it to every victim to treat them with sensitivity and respect, and to do everything we can to make sure that perpetrators, like Otter, are brought before the court to face justice.
“This sentence is not only a punishment for Otter, but a message to perpetrators of the consequences of their actions. We hope it gives confidence to survivours that we will relentlessly pursue anyone responsible for such abhorrent acts, regardless of if it happened recently or decades ago.
“If you have been a victim of sexual assault, please know that you will be taken seriously if you come forward. Whether or not you decide to come to us, there is support available, and we would like to take the opportunity to highlight that.”
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We are appealing for witnesses after a man in his 40s was found with life-threatening injuries in Lincoln.
We received a report from hospital staff that a man had been brought in by ambulance crews with serious injuries. It be believed he was found by a member of the public at the junction of Ripon Street and Chequers Court in the lower area of Lincoln High Street at around 2.40am on 16 August.
His condition is described as life-threatening, and he remains in hospital. We are attempting to trace next of kin, but have so far been unable to locate them, and would appeal to anyone who believes they might know this man to get in touch.
At this stage we are keeping an open mind about the cause of the injuries and we would like to understand more about the circumstances in which they were sustained.
There may be a number of witnesses who can help our investigation who may have seen the man at around the time he was found injured, or in the hours before. The injured man is described as white, around 5ft 8 inches tall with a slim build, and short brown hair. He was wearing a brown T-shirt, black jeans, and light blue shoes.
We are particularly keen to speak with a man and a woman who we believe were with him around the time he had been found injured. These people are not suspects. We hope that they can provide information about the man’s movements that night, or provide information about how he sustained his injuries.
The woman is described as having red hair and in her mid 30s. The man is described as tall and thin wearing a cap and a black coloured shirt. They left via Monson Street in the direction of the city centre.
We are also keen to see any dashcam, mobile phone footage, doorbell footage, or CCTV of the High Street area between 1am and 3pm on August 17.
If you have information which could help, there are a number of ways to get in touch:
By calling 101 quoting incident 200 of 17 August.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 200 of 17 August in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous,
A tanning studio in Lincoln is fighting for its survival after an astronomical hike in electricity prices – which leaves the business in need of more than £50,000 extra cash to afford the bills next year.
Hot Chocolate Tanning Studio is entering its 18th year in business. Situated at Lincoln’s Carlton Centre, the store has been a mainstay for people wanting to use sun beds to top up their tan throughout the year.
There are a total of ten sun beds at the studio, with around 250 people using them during peak weeks in summer months.
The future of the business is now in doubt, and there are genuine fears of closure after an astronomical rise in electricity prices – an essential expense for a company such as this one.
Hot Chocolate Tanning Studio can be found at the Carlton Centre in Lincoln. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite
Salon owner Lucy Wilkinson, 43, told The Lincolnite her business is dreading the “new wave” of financial turmoil, after so many struggled to navigate their way through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hot Chocolate currently pays 13p per kilowatt of electricity used, but a new deal with her energy supplier leaves her with a seemingly impossible gap to bridge. From December, her bills will now rise to 55.44p per kilowatt – a near 350% increase.
“It’s been such an emotional rollercoaster, dreading what might happen”, Lucy said. “I just want my business to survive, it’s a big worry.
“We can’t make money elsewhere really because the price of everything else is going up, too. It’s a lot for us to juggle right now.”
To contextualise just how quickly the price of electricity has soared, Hot Chocolate Tanning Studio was quoted a price of 30.7p on May 31 this year. In less than three months that has gone up to 55.44p.
The studio has ten sun beds, and relies on electricity to run them through the day for customers to use. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite
Lucy told The Lincolnite that her June electricity bill was £2,500, but when the terms of the new agreement come in, it would have been £8,500.
It comes as energy companies continue to record billions upon billions of pounds in profit, while also warning of price hikes that could leave those most vulnerable in society without the financial means to heat or power their homes.
Lucy said now is the time for her voice to be heard, as she feels it is a case of energy companies “gambling with people’s lives” in light of the consistent price boosts.
An incoming electric bill hike of around 350% leaves Hot Chocolate Tanning Studio on the brink. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite
She continues: “Next year I have to find around £55-60,000 just to pay the electricity bill, it’s got to a stage where we don’t know how much longer we have left as a business.
“Around one third of my income now goes on electricity alone, and it is only going to get worse. We will just have to take it month by month as December arrives, and due to being tied to two years of rent payments, we will be forced to pay these rates until we go bust.
“It breaks my heart to see these companies turning over huge profits and then doing this. I found myself thinking surely the government will help soon, surely the prices will drop, but nothing yet.”
While Lucy maintains her positivity, it has become hard to not worry about the future of her business. | Photo: Ellis Karran for The Lincolnite
With this large cost hike comes difficult decisions for Lucy. It isn’t just a case of her finances being affected, it is the careers of her seven staff members, as well as the customer base she has worked tirelessly to build up over the years.
She has had to put up the prices of her studio’s services, which could result in driving customers away.
“We’ve had mixed reactions to our increased rates”, Lucy added. “I’ve just had to be 100% honest with them and explain why are prices are going up. We had to act now so we didn’t collapse when business slowed in winter.
“Normally a 5p increase is considered when prices go up, but I’ve been forced to bump it up by 15p – which could be too much for our customers to handle.
“We’re trying to stay positive and we will always ensure we maintain our high standards, but we are a busy salon because a lot of customers like our staff and services.
“If I start losing my lovely, professional staff it won’t be the same place. I don’t know the answers, all I know is that rising costs have already closed so many businesses, and I don’t want us to be next.”
As Prime Minister candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak defend energy company profits and regularly reject windfall tax proposals on major corporations, small local businesses like this one feel the brunt and wonder how they can survive in a British economy on the verge of crisis.
Lucy in communication with the Federation of Small Businesses, as well as the Sunbed Association to try and raise awareness of these rising bills. It is truly desperate times for a business approaching two decades of service in Lincoln.
If you would like to speak to our reporter about the issues highlighted in this article, or to share your story, please email [email protected]
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