The mother of Barnaby Webber, one of the victims of the Nottingham attacks, has written an open letter criticising Nottinghamshire Police after an officer shared a graphic message about the killings on a force WhatsApp group. Emma Webber described the content as 'abhorrent' in an interview with the BBC.
Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old Ian Coates were stabbed to death on 13 June 2023. Valdo Calocane, 32, was given an indefinite hospital order for manslaughter by diminished responsibility in January after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
In her letter published in The Times, Mrs Webber addressed several graphic messages she said were posted in the group. She wrote: 'When you say "a couple of students have been proper butchered", did you stop to think about the absolute terror that they felt in the moment when they were ambushed and repeatedly stabbed by a man who had planned his attack and lay waiting in the shadows for them?'
Speaking directly to the author of the message, she added: 'I pray you will read this and pause for a while. Dig a little deeper for compassion and care. Show the respect in the future that you did not afford Barney.' She said she had been denied repeated requests to address the group privately and anonymously.
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, Grace O'Malley-Kumar's father, said he was 'appalled and disgusted' at the message. He added: 'The message is as barbaric as the crime for me. I'm so, so disappointed.' Nottinghamshire Police declined to comment, saying it would be 'inappropriate'. The force is under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct over its handling of the attacks.
