The care provided to Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic who killed three people in Nottingham, was “unacceptably poor,” a mental health minister has told an inquiry. Baroness Gillian Merron, the minister for mental health, apologised to survivors for a “serious omission” by the government, which failed to consult them before the inquiry was announced last year.
Calocane fatally stabbed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old grandfather Ian Coates on June 13, 2023. He also attempted to kill three more people with a van, leaving them seriously injured. Calocane had been detained under mental health laws four times while under the care of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), until his discharge in 2022.
Government Acknowledges Failures
During the inquiry, counsel Rachel Langdale KC read from Baroness Merron’s witness statement, which said: “The Department of Health and Social Care recognises there were failures in provision of care to VC, particularly the lack of oversight of his mental health the year before the attacks. Unacceptably poor, should not have been allowed to happen.”
The statement added that NHFT operates within a broader national framework and that the department does not place sole blame on the trust. When asked whether the government or Department of Health shared responsibility, Baroness Merron replied: “The matter of failings in the care of an individual can sit in many places. The intent is not to pass on responsibility but to take responsibility.”
She highlighted the inclusion of the Mental Health Bill in the King’s Speech, which has now become the Mental Health Act, as a step to modernise an “outdated framework.”
Apology to Survivors
At the start of her evidence, Baroness Merron addressed the bereaved families, expressing gratitude and respect for their engagement despite “unimaginable pain.” Sophie Cartwright KC, representing survivors Wayne Birkett and Sharon Miller, noted that there had been “no consultation, contact or engagement with any of the surviving victims” before the inquiry was announced.
Baroness Merron acknowledged this was correct and apologised, stating: “With the benefit of hindsight, that wasn’t the right way to proceed. I accept that and wish to apologise for that. I’m sure it has caused great distress, and if we could rerun it, we would do it differently.” Counsel Langdale described the omission as “serious,” a characterisation the minister accepted.
The inquiry continues and will hear its final day of evidence on Friday.
