University student Grace, 19, died a hero trying to protect pal from knifeman

23 January 2024 , 21:58

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Grace Kumar was killed in June aged 19 (Image: Facebook)

Grace O’Malley-Kumar died a hero, trying to protect her friend from a crazed knifeman, a court heard today.

Innocent Grace and Barnaby Webber, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, were killed on the street in Nottingham by Valdo Calocane, 32, a paranoid schizophrenic. Grace’s dad Dr Sanjoy Kumar blamed flaws in Calocane’s care for the killings. He said: “I think there were gaps in treatment.”

A court heard on Tuesday how she tried to fight off Calocane, pushing him away and into the road before he also began to stab her. Grace and Barnaby, both 19 and students at the University of Nottingham, were stabbed to death in the city as they walked home at 4am last June after a night out.

Grace with her family (EssexLive)

Grace’s brother James, 17, wearing his sister’s earring in her memory, told Sky News: “She tried her best to save her friend. That’s how Grace lost her life. She would never leave a friend. That was very evident from her last moments. She passed fighting. Knowing that I'll never see that (smile) again is something that really hurts me. I have her earring in now, which I always keep in, because again it's a part of her, and that's how I try and get as close as I can to her."

Barnaby Webber died on June 13 (PA)

Her mum Sinead O’Malley said: “The revolting cowardice of her killer compared to the heroism of our Gracie is incomparable. She always stood up for her friends and she paid the ultimate price with her life. She was clearly brave beyond words.”

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Dr Kumar said: “She would never leave a friend in adversity. It was not in her nature. She heroically and valiantly fought.” Paranoid schizophrenic Calocane had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and Dr Kumar told ITV News: “I think there were gaps in treatment and I’m sure that should the gaps not have been there this could have been prevented.”

Calocane, 32, wearing a black suit, shirt and tie, and flanked by security officers and hospital staff, was in the dock at Nottingham crown court for Tuesday’s sentencing hearing. He admitted killing Grace and Barnaby, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, who he knifed to death before stealing his van. He then drove into Nottingham city centre, twice careering into pedestrians.

Ian Coates was the third victim of the attacks in Nottingham (Miro Photography)

Grace O'Malley-Kumar's brother James leaving court (Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Calocane denied murdering Grace, Barnaby and Ian and his pleas of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility were accepted by prosecutors. He also admitted three counts of attempted murder for the van attacks.

Prosecutor Karim Khalil KC struggled to contain his emotions as he outlined Grace, Barnaby and Ian’s final moments. Medical student Grace, of Woodford, East London, and history student Barnaby, of Taunton, Somerset, had been subjected to a “deliberate and merciless” attack.

Mr Khalil said Grace had shown “incredible bravery” trying to protect Barnaby, but the attack on Grace was then “as uncompromisingly brutal” as the one on her friend. A local resident had heard an “awful, blood-curdling scream” during the attack. Family members in the court sobbed as he said Grace’s injuries were too severe and she collapsed.

Police and paramedics arrived within minutes but both Barnaby and Grace’s injuries were unsurvivable. Post-mortem examinations showed they both suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.

Killer Valdo Calocane (PA)

Less than an hour after the attack Calocane called his brother and told him: “This will be the last time I speak to you.” Asked if he was going to do something stupid, the mature student replied: “It is already done.” Calocane then walked across the city to a hostel and tried to break in through a window. He fled after a resident punched him in the face and then came across school caretaker Ian, who was driving to work.

He was “repeatedly stabbed” and left for dead by Calocane, who then drove off in his van. Ian, who lived in Nottingham and was weeks away from retiring, was pronounced dead at the scene.

After driving the van into pedestrians, Calocane was finally stopped and Tasered by police. He was armed with a “double-edged fighting knife”, bought on the internet, two other “back-up” knives and a length of scaffold pole in his rucksack.

This CCTV still shows Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber walking together before they were attacked

Grace’s dad Dr Kumar called for action on knife crime. He said: “It’s at epidemic proportions and yet lawmakers seem to be doing nothing. I think laws need to be changed.” He criticised the decision to accept guilty pleas to manslaughter rather than put Calocane on trial for murder. He told the BBC : “Justice has not been done for our daughter.”

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Asked whether he had doubts about the care Calocane was receiving and whether the tragedy could have been prevented, Grace's father Sanjoy told ITV News: "I think there were gaps in treatment and I'm sure that should the gaps not have been there this could have been prevented."

Ifti Majid, chief executive of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those people who lost their lives and everyone affected by the tragic events. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to comment further.”

Mr Justice Turner must decide if Calocane should receive an indefinite hospital order or life behind bars with a set minimum term. Prosecutors want Calocane to serve a prison term, while his defence team will on Wednesday argue he should be treated in hospital.

Grace’s dad Dr Kumar criticised the decision to accept guilty pleas to manslaughter rather than put Calocane on trial for murder.

“Justice has not been done for our daughter,” he told the BBC. “She would be disappointed it was not concluded the way it should. When you strip everything away, these children were walking home from a night out. They were attacked and murdered brutally.”

Calocane is currently in Ashworth Hospital, a secure psychiatric unit where Ian Brady and cop killer Dale Cregan were once held.

Martin Fricker