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An inquiry examining the tragic Nottingham attacks revealed that the death of Barnaby Webber, one of the victims, might have been avoidable. Alongside Barnaby, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates lost their lives in an incident carried out by Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020. The fatal attack occurred in June 2023, prompting a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the emergency response and healthcare provided.
During the hearing, the inquiry was informed that Barnaby’s chances of survival could have improved with quicker administration of blood products. Although his likelihood of recovery was initially assessed at under 50%, medical experts described his death as “potentially preventable.” In contrast, the deaths of Grace and Ian were deemed “not preventable.” A group of medical professionals meticulously evaluated the emergency services’ actions on the day of the attacks to determine the extent to which the victims might have survived.
Despite recognizing the efforts of emergency responders in providing care, the panel concluded that prompt blood transfusions, while crucial, would not have been sufficient on their own to save Barnaby. A series of additional urgent and specific medical interventions needed to occur, underlining the complexity of the situation. The emotional weight of these findings was palpable in the hearing room, with families visibly distressed as counsel Rachel Langdale KC presented the assessment. The hearing saw Grace’s father, Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, leave the room in response to the reading of the medical evaluations.
In her closing remarks, Langdale echoed the words of former parliamentary ombudsman Sir Rob Behrens, highlighting the vital role bereaved families play in campaigning during extremely difficult times. She stated, “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 further emphasized that without the families’ persistence and legal team, the inquiry itself would not have taken place. She critiqued the numerous failures uncovered through evidence, expressing that Barney, Grace, and Ian should still be alive, and that the survivors should have been unharmed. The chair of the inquiry, retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC, expressed disappointment over newly emerged evidence during a break in the hearing that ought to have been identified earlier, and she set a deadline for correction of errors and omissions by the end of December.
Tim Moloney KC, representing the families during his closing remarks, concentrated heavily on the timeline of Calocane’s interactions with public services. He outlined a “litany of unnoticed red flags, missed opportunities and individual and systemic failures” spanning from May 2020 to June 2023. Moloney asserted that these repeated failures by institutions and individuals allowed risks associated with Calocane’s behavior to be overlooked, and that more effective interventions could have prevented the deaths. He criticized both police and clinical responses, noting that law enforcement often dismissed serious incidents while healthcare providers frequently applied least restrictive practices that, according to Moloney, ignored the potential harm to victims and the wider public. He contended that these systemic shortcomings diverted Calocane away from appropriate criminal justice or forensic psychiatric pathways, ultimately failing both Calocane and the people affected by his actions
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