Nottingham Attacks Inquiry Hears Partner Was Misled About Caretaker's Death
The partner of a school caretaker murdered by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane has told a public inquiry she felt her partner had been killed twice, after police initially informed her he died in a car crash rather than revealing the brutal stabbing truth for over four hours.
Initial Police Communication Described as 'A Mess'
Elaine Newton, the long-term partner of 65-year-old Ian Coates, detailed her traumatic experience during the Nottingham attacks inquiry. Mr Coates was stabbed to death in the early hours of 13 June 2023, just over an hour after 19-year-old university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were killed in the same series of attacks.
Ms Newton testified that police first told her Mr Coates had died in a road traffic accident. "They said he was in an RTA, a road accident. I said 'He will be at work, it's not Ian'. They said 'No, it's an RTA'," she recounted. When she pressed for details, officers repeatedly responded with "We can't tell you."
This incomplete information continued for approximately five hours before liaison officers finally revealed the truth. "They looked shocked on their faces and said 'You've got the wrong information. Ian's been killed and he's been stabbed'. That's how I learned," Ms Newton told the hearing.
'Died Twice' and Loss of Police Trust
Describing the emotional impact, Ms Newton stated: "It felt like he'd been killed twice. The first information, I accepted, but the second I couldn't accept. You don't know which one was true, or have they got the wrong person. It was not right, it was a mess."
She expressed profound loss of faith in Nottinghamshire Police, particularly after learning during the inquiry process about Calocane's previous incidents with police that she had never been informed about. "I have lost faith in the police and I feel like I have not been given the information and have been lied to really," she testified.
During a meeting with then-Chief Constable Kate Meynell, Ms Newton said she was not told about Calocane's police history but instead learned about a WhatsApp group where officers discussed the attacks. "I should have been given information about his past, not straight away, but down the line," she emphasized.
Systemic Failures and Accountability Demands
The inquiry heard about multiple systemic failures involving police, NHS mental health services, and communication between agencies. Ms Newton read an email she sent to Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust stating: "I want you to understand that I am not interested in apologies because it is too late, too little."
In the email, she held the NHS responsible for the three deaths and wrote: "I have zero confidence in any changes that NHS makes in the future. It does not learn its lessons and does not care about people, only statistics and numbers." She demanded that individuals responsible for care failings be "struck off from ever being in a position of care ever again."
Regarding police response times on the morning of the attacks, Ms Newton said she received what she described as "excuses" when asking why Calocane was allowed to roam the city after the stabbings. Officers cited potential reasons including insufficient police presence and Nottingham's size.
Ongoing Inquiry Revelations and Family Impact
The inquiry continues to examine the circumstances surrounding Calocane's attacks, his mental health treatment history, and institutional responses. Calocane, referred to as VC during proceedings, was discharged by mental health services in September 2022.
Ms Newton told the inquiry she had specifically asked not to see Calocane's face but was later shown videos of him walking around Nottingham on the attack morning. "I didn't want to see VC's face, I didn't want him to take my life over as much as he has done," she explained.
While stating she was "glad this has all come out," Ms Newton added that "the police need to be more helpful" and criticized how the prosecution process was explained to families. "The way they talk about the criminal justice... you don't understand it," she testified.
She concluded: "I think the police have let the public and myself and all other families down. Because they didn't do their job properly, they didn't communicate with the NHS, the NHS didn't communicate with the police. So I think between them all they've caused this."
