Killer 'lied, deceived and out-manoeuvred' medical staff – ex-nurse

Killer 'lied, deceived and out-manoeuvred' medical staff – ex-nurse

A former nurse has revealed at a public inquiry that a mentally ill man responsible for fatal attacks in Nottingham effectively deceived medical staff and outsmarted the healthcare system. Valdo Calocane, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was convicted of stabbing to death three individuals—Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates—while also attempting to kill three others on 13 June 2023.

Prior to these tragic events, Calocane had a documented pattern of refusing to comply with prescribed medication during his care under Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Gary Carter, a former mental health nurse who resigned in 2025, criticized the trust’s handling of Calocane’s case, stating the services failed to manage his care effectively. Carter, who served as Calocane’s care coordinator from April to September 2022, acknowledged that Calocane was discharged due to his lack of engagement with treatment.

Reflecting on the case, Carter admitted that most of what he understood about Calocane came only after the attacks. He explained how Calocane consistently misled and outmaneuvered both ward and community medical teams, describing him as dishonest. Despite repeated hospital admissions and community care efforts, the team never had an accurate sense of Calocane’s whereabouts since he frequently changed addresses. Carter also acknowledged shortcomings in the handover process when he took over Calocane’s care and admitted he did not fully review the patient’s background due to time constraints.

Throughout June to August 2022, Calocane missed numerous appointments and calls, and Carter recounted a failed attempt to visit him at an outdated address. Although this location was no longer accessible to Calocane due to a prior assault on a housemate, Carter did not pursue further measures to locate him. When questioned about his response, Carter indicated that options to escalate the issue, such as involving the police, were limited and that discharging Calocane was avoided due to concerns it would be detrimental.

Regarding Calocane’s discharge in September 2022, Carter distanced himself from the decision but acknowledged the healthcare team had exhausted their strategies. He noted that inpatient services had also failed and that ultimately, everyone involved ran out of ideas, despite it being clear Calocane required prolonged hospital treatment. Carter openly accepted his share of responsibility for the events and described his experience at the inquiry as emotionally taxing. He also revealed that he resigned from his nursing role after being informed that the attacks were deemed unavoidable and stated he does not intend to return to nursing.

The inquiry highlighted Calocane’s ongoing refusal to adhere to his medication regime, with Carter expressing disbelief that long-acting

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