Families of Nottingham attack victims criticize NHS, feeling Valdo Calocane’s mental health care failures resulted in avoidable deaths and injuries.
Emma Webber, Barnaby’s mother, also spoke out. She called the care report a “horror show” and feels mental health teams missed chances. They didn’t do their job properly, and Calocane had paranoid schizophrenia. He got an indefinite hospital order following attacks in Nottingham in June 2023.
He killed Barnaby, Grace, and Ian Coates. He also tried to kill three others. Dr. Kumar said they failed at every step when Calocane interacted with the authorities. He wants individual medics held accountable because they knew Calocane was a risk and he didn’t take his medication.
The report said he disliked needles, so they didn’t force long-acting medication. Other patients also committed violent acts while under the same NHS trust. Mrs. Webber urged a full public inquiry and said it must have real power.
Grace’s mother, Dr. O’Malley-Kumar, cited poor decisions and noted laziness among health staff. This was concerning her daughter’s killer. The attacks began around 4 a.m., when Calocane attacked Barnaby and Grace in the street. The attack was filmed by a taxi dashcam, and Calocane killed them both.
He then tried to break into a house and later killed Ian Coates. He used Coates’ van to hit pedestrians. Police reported a major incident around 7 a.m. Three people died, and others were hurt. Calocane was arrested for murder.
Families mourned Grace and Barnaby. Calocane was charged with triple murder. One victim remembered everything. Ian Coates was honored at a service. Barnaby’s funeral followed soon after. Over 1,000 people honored Grace.
Calocane was guilty of manslaughter for the deaths of the three victims. Webber questioned sharing student housing. Families want answers about patient safety. The families will meet with the government to discuss a public review.
An investigation revealed hospital admissions between 2020 and 2022. Calocane had many contacts with community teams. He was discharged due to poor engagement. His care wasn’t enough, the report states, and health officials say the system failed.
NHS leaders apologize to the victims’ families and admit the NHS got it wrong. Every mental health trust must review the findings and should make action plans for similar patients. Trusts can’t discharge patients who skip appointments.
Trust leaders apologize for missed opportunities and accept the report entirely. Key improvements are underway already. These involve risk assessment and discharge care. They aim to better listen to patients and families. The trust wants to learn from this tragedy and aims to prevent such incidents again.