A rookie police officer has issued a formal apology after admitting to a series of critical errors that left a future triple killer free to carry out his deadly attacks. Libbie-Mae Taylor, who was only twelve shifts into her role with Leicestershire Police, was called to the scene of a warehouse assault on May 5, 2023.
Missed Opportunities and Critical Failures
The suspect, Valdo Calocane, had already fled the location but was actively wanted for skipping bail after being charged with assaulting an emergency worker. Despite receiving his full name and date of birth to enter into the police log later, PC Taylor failed to notice that Calocane should have been arrested immediately. She then closed the incident without obtaining detailed statements from the victims, even though numerous eyewitnesses at the warehouse had observed the unprovoked attack, with some claiming Calocane was reaching for a knife.
Devastating Consequences in Nottingham
Calocane went on to stab three people to death and seriously injure three others in Nottingham on June 13. An ongoing inquiry is now thoroughly investigating what went wrong in the build-up to this horrific atrocity. The young officer, who was placed in charge of the case despite her vast inexperience, publicly apologised for her mistakes during the inquiry proceedings in London.
She stated: 'I think that in this incident, I made mistakes. We've all admitted, accepted that we've made mistakes, and unfortunately, you know, it's really difficult. I can only apologise for making those mistakes and the role that I played in it.'
Systemic Pressures and Operational Errors
PC Taylor explained that while she felt supported by her senior colleagues, all staff members were under significant pressure due to large caseloads, which required her to work on her days off just to catch up. The inquiry heard that Calocane, who had a documented history of violence, had only been working at the Arvato warehouse in Kegworth for five days when he assaulted two colleagues, a husband and wife, leaving the male victim in serious pain.
PC Taylor responded to the scene alongside her senior colleague, PC Connor Amos-Perkins, who was described as her tutor. However, the inquiry revealed that PC Taylor did not properly download bodycam footage capturing the aftermath of the incident, including crucial testimony from witnesses, resulting in the loss of this vital evidence.
Additional Mistakes and Oversights
She made subsequent errors, incorrectly describing Calocane as a 'detained person' despite him being at large, and admitted she did not properly reflect the seriousness of the injuries sustained. Most crucially, she did not notice that Calocane was already wanted by the magistrates court when she was provided with his details later—something the inquiry heard should have been a 'breakthrough' moment.
When questioned by Rachel Langdale KC, counsel to the inquiry, PC Taylor confirmed she did not see the warrant on the police log, despite clicking on it twice. Ms Langdale asked: 'Did you look at it?' PC Taylor replied: 'If I did click on it… then all I can say is I've not absorbed that information because if I had seen that, I would have said something to (my tutor) and I didn't.' Ms Langdale followed up: 'You didn't register it?' PC Taylor responded: 'I didn't register it.'
The Nottingham Victims and Legal Outcome
Calocane fatally stabbed 19-year-old Nottingham University students Barney Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, along with 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates. He was subsequently sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after the Crown Prosecution Service accepted his guilty pleas to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The inquiry into these tragic events continues as authorities seek to understand the full scope of the failures that preceded the attacks.
