A special constable has been dismissed from duty after viewing sensitive body-worn camera footage capturing the final moments of two students who tragically lost their lives. The incident occurred following a violent attack in Nottingham city centre last June.
The victims, Grace O’Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber, were fatally stabbed during a night out. Shortly thereafter, school caretaker Ian Coates also fell victim to a knife attack by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane.
An internal investigation revealed that nearly 180 police staff members accessed material related to the case. Shockingly, 11 of them had no legitimate reason to do so. Among those implicated was the special constable, who faced an “accelerated misconduct hearing” presided over by Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell. The proceedings were held in private.
The constable reportedly viewed footage showing officers and paramedics providing medical assistance to Grace and Barnaby at the scene. The disturbing footage continued even after the victims had passed away, all on the officer’s police laptop.
In addition to being dismissed, the constable has been permanently barred from working as a police officer. The severity of the breach underscores the gravity of the situation.
Further investigations are underway, including a gross misconduct probe into another staff member. This individual was arrested and interviewed for accessing evidence without a legitimate policing purpose.
Sanjoy Kumar, Grace’s grieving father, expressed his dismay: “I’m disgusted; it’s absolutely morbid voyeurism. As parents, we feel broken-hearted about it.” He questioned why the family was not informed about the misconduct hearing, emphasising their desire to attend.
In a related case, PC Matt Gell faced consequences for unauthorised access to records related to Valdo Calocane, despite having no involvement in the investigation. His gross misconduct resulted in a final written warning.
