Northumbria police have confirmed they are investigating the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for corporate manslaughter after it treated Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June 2023.
Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order for fatally stabbing students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on 13 June 2023.
Background of Treatment
A public inquiry into the attacks heard that the trust had sectioned Calocane four times between 2020 and 2022. Evidence detailed a series of violent incidents and his repeated refusal to take medication. During his second hospital admission, a doctor warned that Calocane could “end up killing someone”.
Despite this, Calocane was discharged from mental health services in September 2022 because he had failed to attend appointments and healthcare workers “couldn’t find him”. At the time of the attacks, there was a warrant out for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
Investigation Details
Northumbria police are carrying out the criminal inquiry on behalf of Nottinghamshire police. The NHS trust said it is cooperating with the investigation, which could lead to substantial fines and leadership changes. Corporate manslaughter charges can apply to public bodies like NHS trusts, aiming to hold them accountable for serious failings resulting in death.
A trust spokesperson said: “Northumbria police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire police, have begun an investigation into matters relating to the care and treatment of Valdo Calocane. We know how important the independent inquiry and police investigation are for the affected families, the survivors and our local communities. We will, of course, be cooperating fully with Northumbria police, as we have with the statutory inquiry.”
A Northumbria police spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are very much with the victims, their families and all those impacted by the tragic events in Nottingham in June 2023. We are in contact with the victims’ families and survivors and are committed to supporting them throughout this process.”
The public inquiry is expected to publish its findings next year. Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire police forces previously apologised for failing to act on the arrest warrant. The Care Quality Commission’s 2026 report said the trust needed significant improvements.
