A shock revelation in the Nottingham knife killings inquiry has exposed a special constable accessing graphic and distressing images of the murdered students—without any proper reason.
Special Constable Viewed Gore of Victims
Special Constable Ilsadin Skenderaj viewed 12 separate recordings, including grim footage of the victims’ bodies being placed into body bags following the stabbing spree by Valdo Calocane. He was the only officer reported to have self-reported this inappropriate access. Skenderaj reportedly watched scenes inside an ambulance where officers and paramedics tried to save 19-year-olds Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, as well as footage of Calocane’s arrest. 
Superintendent Kathryn Craner from Nottinghamshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate confirmed the footage was “extremely distressing, graphic” and criticised the lack of restrictions on access to such sensitive material.
Resignation and Police Failures
Skenderaj resigned after accessing the footage at home with no policing purpose. He refused to be interviewed, and police devices linked to him were not seized. Previously, in January 2024, another Nottinghamshire Police officer was disciplined for sharing a callous WhatsApp message about the victims’ injuries. Ms Craner admitted an audit into who viewed the footage will begin only after months of delay, despite the issue coming to light in September 2023. She acknowledged this lapse could mean officers who saw the footage without justification might still be on duty.
Inquiry Calls for Tighter Controls
Inquiry chair Deborah Taylor highlighted the need to restrict access strictly to those who truly need sensitive evidence, warning about officers’ curiosity leading to misuse. Ms Craner agreed some individuals viewed footage out of inappropriate interest. The upcoming audit will reveal the full extent. Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic with a violent past, admitted manslaughter and three counts of attempted murder. He is now held indefinitely in a high-security hospital. Families of victims have condemned the Crown Prosecution Service and police failures, calling the tragedy “totally avoidable.”
“If you were involved in that and something went catastrophically wrong, then you need to be sacked.” — Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O’Malley-Kumar
The inquiry presses on as Nottinghamshire grapples with damning police conduct in the wake of the June 2023 attacks.
