Police face probe over contact with Nottingham triple killer before rampage
A police force is to be probed over the Nottingham stabbing case after reports officers had previously had contact with killer Valdo Calocane.
Calocane, 32, who went on a rampage through Nottingham last year, was detained at a high security hospital indefinitely. He was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when he stabbed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, to death with a dagger in Nottingham in the early hours of last June 13.
On February 2, the IOPC announced it would look into the contact that Leicestershire Police had with Calocane prior to his rampage. Now they are looking into Nottinghamshire Police after the force made a voluntary referral complaints from the victims' families.
Relatives allege that there were major flaws in the way the force handled the murder investigation and that there were also missed opportunities to prevent the deaths. Concerns were also raised, the IOPC said, about an outstanding warrant for Calocane's arrest beforehand which was never executed, as well as the force's communication with the families.
Grace Kumar was killed alongside Barnaby Webber (PA)
Ian Coates was the third victim in the Nottingham attacks (Miro Photography)IOPC Director of Operations, Steve Noonan, said: “Our sympathies are with the families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates, and everyone else affected by the tragic events which took place on June 13 last year. We have now decided to investigate complaints made about Nottinghamshire Police’s involvement with Valdo Calocane. Along with this we are investigating the actions and decisions of Leicestershire Police, which we announced last week.”
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Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite high security hospital order last month after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder. A court heard the 32-year-old had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when he carried out the attacks on June 13, bringing horror to the city of Nottingham.
Sinead O'Malley and Dr Sanjoy Kumar - Grace's parents - arrive at Nottingham Crown Court (Joseph Raynor/ Nottingham Post)IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said previously: “First and foremost, my thoughts and sympathies go to Barnaby’s, Grace’s and Ian’s families and friends and everyone who has understandably been affected by the tragic deaths and the injuries sustained in June last year.
“We have been in contact with Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Police recently about the referrals, which followed the level of public concern raised by the trial last month. Our investigation will be thorough and completely independent of the police. We will be looking at whether the investigation into the alleged assaults was progressed properly and whether this presents any opportunity for individual or organisational learning.”
Barnaby Webber was 19 when he was killed (PA)Barnaby's mother Emma Webber previously criticised the justice system following last month's sentencing, saying Calocane had 'gotten away with murder'. Speaking outside court, Ms Webber said: "We trusted in our system, foolishly as it turns out. We do not dispute the murderer is mentally unwell and has been for a number of years.
"However the pre-mediated planning, the collection of lethal weapons, hiding in the shadows and brutality of the attacks are that of an individual who knew exactly what he was doing. He knew entirely it was wrong but he did it anyway."
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