A 62-year-old HGV driver has been sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment at Hull Crown Court after being caught by family members engaging in penetrative sex with the dead body of his former partner minutes after her death.
Stephen Sellars, formerly of Hoyland Common, Barnsley, and most recently residing in Hibaldstow, North Lincolnshire, appeared for sentence on 23 October 2026 following an investigation into an offence of sexual penetration of a corpse.
The prosecution detailed that the 60-year-old victim had been in a long-standing on-off relationship with Sellars spanning 40 years, co-owning a residence in Hibaldstow where Sellars stayed intermittently between working shifts as a lorry driver. The victim had been diagnosed with aggressive stage four cancer several months earlier and died at the home on 31 August.
Shortly after the victim was pronounced dead, her son and nephew left the address for approximately 15 minutes to break the news to an elderly family member living nearby, leaving Sellars alone in the property with the deceased woman.
Upon their return, the relatives found the external door unexpectedly locked from the inside. Using a key to gain entry, they entered the living room—which had been converted into a bedroom during the woman’s palliative care—and discovered Sellars actively carrying out full penetrative sex with her corpse.
Sellars immediately ceased the act, fled the property on foot, and drove away in his heavy goods vehicle. Law enforcement was alerted, and officers subsequently tracked and intercepted Sellars in his lorry as he traveled through Derbyshire.
During subsequent exchanges via text message with the victim’s son, Sellars attempted to minimize his depraved conduct by asserting that he was under the influence of substances and did not understand his actions. Although he initially denied the allegation to investigators, Sellars subsequently entered a formal guilty plea to sexual penetration of a corpse under Section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
In victim impact statements read in open court, the deceased’s son described feelings of utter numbness, betrayal, and recurring nightmares, emphasizing that his children had grown up knowing Sellars as a grandfather figure throughout their lives.
Passing sentence on 23 October 2026, Judge John Thackray KC addressed the statutory limits governing the offence date, explaining that while statutory sentencing guidelines were increased on 29 September to permit a maximum term of seven years’ imprisonment, the timing of the offence on 31 August restricted the court to the earlier statutory ceiling of two years before applying guilty plea credit.
Judge Thackray KC remarked: “Your offending has had a profound effect upon him and, no doubt, he will never fully recover from the effects of your offending. Had the offence taken place a month later, the sentence would have been measured in years, not months. The offence’s seriousness is such that only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence.”
The judge handed down an immediate custodial term of 16 months’ imprisonment. Under standard release provisions, Sellars will serve half of his sentence behind bars before being released on licence under the statutory supervision of the Probation Service.
To provide ongoing protection to the victim’s relatives and manage future risk, the court imposed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) on Sellars, alongside enforceable restraining orders prohibiting contact with the victim’s son and nephew. Sellars was also made subject to mandatory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register and permanently barred from regulated activity involving children or vulnerable adults.
Under the provisions of Section 49 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and related safeguarding rules, protected child relatives and young family members connected to proceedings are protected by statutory anonymity. Publishing, broadcasting, or disseminating any details, names, addresses, educational facilities, or photographs capable of identifying protected minors is strictly prohibited under UK law.
Sellars stood convicted of:
Sexual penetration of a corpse
Sentencing outcome and statutory measures:
16 months’ immediate custody
Five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO)
Restraining orders protecting the victim’s son and nephew
Mandatory notification requirements on the Sex Offenders Register under the Sexual Offences Act 2003
Permanent barring from working with children or vulnerable adults (Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists)
Strict post-custodial statutory licence supervision conditions enforceable upon release from custody
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