The former chairman of an NHS trust has acknowledged a "missed opportunity" that could have prevented the Nottingham killings. Paul Devlin, who led Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust until December last year, told an inquiry that the board failed to take meaningful steps after a fatal attack by another former patient in August 2022.
Background of the Case
Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic under the trust's care from 2020 until his discharge in 2022, stabbed to death students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on June 13, 2023. He then attempted to murder three pedestrians with a van stolen from Coates. Calocane is now detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital after admitting manslaughter.
Inquiry Revelations
The inquiry heard on Tuesday that a fatal attack occurred in August 2022 by someone who had previous contact with the trust's mental health services. The patient was not named, and the killing's circumstances were not disclosed. James Weston, counsel to the inquiry, stated: "From a board level, not enough was done in relation to this incident." Mr Devlin accepted this.
Mr Weston noted that the attack happened weeks before Calocane's discharge and that no meaningful board action followed. He called it a "missed opportunity," to which Mr Devlin agreed. The former chairman said the board was informed in September 2022 but delayed its investigation pending a police inquiry. An action plan was only approved in May 2025.
Missed Chances for Prevention
Mr Weston suggested that an audit of "unsafe discharges" in September 2022 could have identified Calocane's case and potentially prevented the June 2023 attacks. Mr Devlin conceded this was possible. The inquiry also heard of another fatal incident involving a mental health patient in February 2023 and a non-fatal attack in April 2023.
The inquiry continues to examine the events leading up to the killings.
