A public inquiry began Monday examining the circumstances that led to Valdo Calocane fatally stabbing Barnaby Webber, 19, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19 and Ian Coates, 65, in Nottingham on June 13, 2023. Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after admitting three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.
Early Interactions with Mental Health Services
The inquiry heard that Calocane, a student at the University of Nottingham at the time, was arrested on May 24, 2020, after exhibiting violent behavior, repeatedly kicking and punching a door at his student accommodation. Following the incident, he underwent a mental health assessment where he reported hearing voices.
A doctor involved in the assessment considered detaining Calocane, citing it as his “first presentation of psychosis” and a lack of risk history. However, a team of mental health professionals considered research regarding the over-representation of young black men in detention, ultimately deciding a crisis team could provide a “safe and reasonable alternative.”
Calocane agreed to medication and home treatment, including twice-daily visits from the crisis team. Shortly after his release, he again kicked a neighbor’s door, causing the neighbor to jump from a first-floor window and sustain a spinal injury. This led to another period of detention, the first of four hospital admissions before the June 2023 attacks.
Systemic Issues Identified
A report by the Care Quality Commission found “a series of errors, omissions and misjudgments” in Calocane’s care between May 2020 and September 2022, warning that without corrective action, these issues would “continue to pose an inherent risk to patient and public safety.” The inquiry also heard that Calocane repeatedly misled healthcare professionals about his medication usage and mental health.
In one instance, Calocane visited MI5 in May 2021, requesting to be arrested and claiming to have information about a case. Two days prior, his mother had contacted the crisis team expressing concern that he was not taking his medication.
Families Seek Accountability
The families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates released a joint statement prior to the inquiry’s commencement, stating they had experienced “failure and silence” for too long. They expressed a desire to “hold those who neglected their jobs to account” and expose “systemic neglect” within mental health services, law enforcement, and the judicial system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the public inquiry?
The inquiry was launched to assess the “events, acts and omissions” that allowed Valdo Calocane to be free to commit the attacks and to determine how similar incidents can be prevented in the future.
What was known about Calocane’s mental health prior to the attacks?
Calocane was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had a history of violent incidents and hospital admissions related to his mental health, beginning in May 2020.
What are the families of the victims hoping to achieve with this inquiry?
The families want the inquiry to expose systemic neglect and hold those responsible for failures in the system accountable, seeking a thorough examination of missed opportunities by various authorities.
As the inquiry continues, what impact will its findings have on mental health service protocols and public safety measures remains to be seen.
