Doctor’s Warning Ignored Despite Murder Risk
Medical experts treating Valdo Calocane considered “research evidence showing over-representation of young black males in detention” before releasing the paranoid schizophrenic back into the community, an inquiry revealed. This was months before Calocane butchered three people in Nottingham.
The inquiry heard how a doctor warned in July 2020 that Calocane “will end up killing someone.” Yet, he was discharged just two weeks later. In June 2023, Calocane stabbed to death university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old Ian Coates.
Multiple Warning Signs Ignored
Rachel Langdale KC, leading counsel for the inquiry, disclosed the racial considerations involved in decisions to release Calocane amid institutional blunders. The attacker also injured three pedestrians with a stolen van during his violent spree.
- Calocane had repeated NHS mental health interventions and was sectioned four times.
- His mother flagged mental health concerns repeatedly.
- He showed violent behaviour, including demanding to speak with MI5 and carrying a hammer on a hospital ward.
- Five students fled their houseshare due to his threatening unpredictability.
- Despite police involvement after violent incidents, he faced no convictions until the 2023 attack.
Systemic Failures And Missed Opportunities
An NHS review cited Calocane’s fear of needles as a reason he wasn’t forced to take long-lasting antipsychotic meds. The Independent Office for Police Conduct found police failed to properly investigate a prior assault, missing a key chance to stop the bloodshed.
Shockingly, the University of Nottingham had no idea Calocane had been medically absent for months due to “astonishing failure of information sharing.” On the night of the murders, Calocane was lying in wait, armed with multiple knives and a metal pole. He later told his brother, “This will be the last time we speak.”
Families Demand Justice, Accountability
Families of the victims condemned years of “failure and silence” by institutions charged with public safety. Emma Webber, mother of victim Barnaby, slammed previous reports as “virtually useless” and urged real change over apologies.
“Apologies do not keep the public safe, but change does. This inquiry must not become a procedural exercise,” she said.
The families want individual and organisational accountability, hoping the inquiry exposes systemic neglect from health services, police, and courts alike.
Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after pleading manslaughter by diminished responsibility and three attempted murders. Families slammed the sentence, warning it risks a miscarriage of justice if Calocane could be released within years.
Long Road Ahead
The inquiry will hear from over 100 witnesses across four months, with a final report due in May next year. The Ministry of Justice confirmed it will also probe how Calocane’s risk was managed and unauthorised access to sensitive information by public servants.
Chair Deborah Taylor confirmed Calocane will be referenced only by his initials, VC, throughout the proceedings.
