Police Failures Exposed in Nottingham Triple Killing Inquiry
An official inquiry has heard that police missed multiple opportunities to arrest a violent schizophrenic man who later went on to commit the Nottingham triple killing, with authorities describing the lapses as a "serious, systemic, operational failure". Valdo Calocane, who killed University of Nottingham students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, in June 2023, had an outstanding arrest warrant for 10 months prior to the attacks that was never executed by Nottinghamshire Police.
Missed Arrests and Systemic Breakdowns
The inquiry revealed that a warrant for Calocane's arrest was issued in September 2022 at Nottingham Magistrates' Court after he failed to attend a hearing related to an assault on an emergency worker. Despite this, police did not act on the warrant for nearly a year. Furthermore, just one month before the fatal stabbings, Calocane assaulted two colleagues at a factory in Kegworth, Leicestershire, but Leicestershire Police did not arrest him at that time, missing another critical chance to intervene.
In his opening statement, Tim Moloney KC, representing the families of the victims, condemned any potential police defense that arresting Calocane would not have altered the outcome. He stated, "That warrant was outstanding for 10 months, and Nottinghamshire Police did not execute it for 10 months. They just left him out on the streets." Moloney added that such arguments would be "cowardly, highly offensive and insulting" to the intelligence of the grieving families.
Police Apologies and Accountability
John Beggs KC, representing Nottinghamshire Police in the inquiry, acknowledged the force's failure to execute the warrant in a timely manner, stating, "They failed to do so at all." He quoted the temporary deputy chief constable, Rob Griffin, who described the lapse as a "serious, systemic, operational failure" and offered an unreserved apology to the families and survivors. However, Beggs also questioned whether Calocane, given his mental illness at the time, would have been prosecuted and imprisoned if arrested earlier, though he emphasized that this did not excuse the police's inaction.
The inquiry further uncovered additional operational shortcomings. Recordings of police calls from the morning of the attacks were "seemingly lost or unavailable", a situation Moloney labeled as "astonishing". In Leicestershire, an officer who responded to the factory assault did not check Calocane's prior police records, which would have revealed the outstanding warrant, and body-worn camera footage from the incident was mistakenly deleted. Hugh Davies KC, representing the Leicestershire officers, stated that the chief constable has apologized for these errors.
NHS Apology and Ongoing Inquiry
Barrister Anna Bicarregui told the inquiry that NHS England also issued an "unreserved apology" to the survivors and bereaved families, admitting that the NHS and the broader system failed them with devastating consequences. She emphasized NHS England's commitment to improving support for people with severe mental illnesses. Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after admitting manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and attempted murder, a decision that has faced criticism from the victims' families.
The chairwoman of the inquiry, which will continue hearing evidence until June of this year, is expected to produce a comprehensive report with recommendations by 2027, aiming to address the systemic issues highlighted by this tragic case.
