Nottingham attacks victim’s death ‘potentially preventable’

A composite image of Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates — Image caption,

Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023

ByAsha Patel and Will Jefford, East Midlands

The death of a student killed in the Nottingham attacks was “potentially preventable”, an inquiry has heard.

Barnaby Webber – along with Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates – were killed by Valdo Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, in June 2023.

On Tuesday, ahead of closing statements to the Nottingham Inquiry, the hearing was told a “more rapid administration of blood products” could have increased Barnaby’s chances of getting to hospital with enough of a heartbeat to undergo surgery.

The inquiry heard Barnaby had a less than 50% chance of surviving his injuries, characterised as “potentially preventable”, while Grace and Ian’s deaths were “not preventable”.

A panel of medical professionals assessed the emergency medical response on the day of the attacks to assess “survivability”.

In their assessment, provided to the inquiry, the panel noted the hard work of the emergency responders in their care to the victims.

The panel found that even if blood products had been administered to Barnaby earlier and more rapidly, multiple other rapid and particular steps would have had to have taken place for him to have survived.

The families of the victims sobbed as the assessments were read out by counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC. Grace’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, left the hearing room.

A cordon in Nottingham after attacks in the city carried out by valdo calocane. Two forensic officers stand in the middle of the road inside a police cordon. — Image caption,

Large parts of Nottingham were cordoned off by police following the attacks

The Nottingham Inquiry started hearing evidence in February, with more than 100 witnesses questioned over three months.

Witnesses included police staff and officers, mental healthcare practitioners, Calocane’s former flatmates and family members, the bereaved families and the survivors of the attacks.

A number of revelations emerged in evidence about errors in Calocane’s care, his previous interactions with police and failings both during and in the aftermath of the attacks.

Calocane – who also seriously injured three others in the attacks on 13 June 2023 – is currently serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security facility after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and to three counts of attempted murder.

The inquiry is currently hearing updates in evidence since the end of oral evidence earlier this year.

In her closing remarks, Langdale reiterated the evidence of former parliamentary ombudsman Sir Rob Behrens.

She said: “Too often these cases are dependent upon bereaved families campaigning at a time when they are least prepared to do so, and it is an outstanding public service that they perform.”

Langdale added: “Although Sir Rob was talking generally about bereaved families, his words could have been written as a description of the bereaved families and their legal team in this inquiry. Indeed, without their efforts there would not have been a public inquiry at all.”

“The evidence we have obtained has revealed one failure after another.

“There is a suggestion in some submissions that further oral evidence should be called. We submit that there’s no need for further oral evidence from any source.

“Barney, Grace and Ian should be alive. And the survivors – uninjured.”

These further updates will be followed by closing statements – the final oral submissions to the chair, retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC.

On Tuesday, Taylor said it was “disappointing” that over the break, evidence had emerged which “ought to have been identified” and disclosed earlier.

She directed core participants to provide any corrections to errors or omissions by no later than 31 December.

A mugshot of Valdo Calocane — Image caption,

Calocane killed three people and seriously injured three others – Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski

The inquiry also heard from Tim Moloney KC, who provided closing remarks on behalf of bereaved families.

He focused on the timeline of contact between Calocane – who is being referred to in the inquiry as VC – and public services.

“We say the timeline contains a litany of unnoticed red flags, missed opportunities and individual and systemic failures,” he said.

“The bereaved families firmly believe that if opportunities had been taken to effectively deal with the behaviour of VC, if there had not been so many failures by so many people in institutions between 24 May 2020 and 13 June 2023, then their loved ones would still be here today.

“They have good reason to believe that, because VC’s history of contact with public agencies is one of repeated individual and systemic failures in the face of the clear and growing risk that he presented.”