Campaigners have accused mental health officials of ‘washing their hands’ of Nottingham triple killer Valdo Calocane as he became increasingly disturbed in the months before his rampage – as they warned more lives will be lost without reform.
The 32-year-old paranoid schizophrenic had been in and out of a mental health hospital for more than three years and a warrant was out for his arrest when his killing spree brought terror to Nottingham last summer.
Julian Hendy, whose father Philip was killed by a psychotic man with a long history of mental illness 17 years ago, called on health professionals to be ‘more assertive’ and cooperate better with other agencies, including the police.
The campaigner, who founded the charity Hundred Families to support bereaved relatives, said its research showed one in five killings were related to mental illness. A total of 120 people each year die at the hands of someone who is mentally ill.
Calocane, who was sentenced yesterday to be detained in a high security hospital for ‘very probably’ the rest of his life, had repeatedly come to the attention of the NHS, police, university officials and even his employer.
There were at least eight missed opportunities to deal with him before he ‘brutally and mercilessly’ killed first-year university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates.
Valdo Calocane was sentenced yesterday to be detained in a high security hospital for ‘very probably’ the rest of his life
Julian Hendy, whose father Philip was killed by a psychotic man with a long history of mental illness 17 years ago, criticised the way Calocane’s case had been handled
Barnaby, from Taunton, was stabbed in Ilkeston Road in Nottingham at around 4am on June 13
Grace, who like Barnaby was 19, was a talented sportswoman who had played hockey for England
Mr Coates was a grandfather and a much-loved caretaker at a local school
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After the court accepted Calocane’s guilty plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, it emerged his disturbing behaviour had led to him being sectioned at least four times.
Yet he was continually released into the community – where he stopped taking his medication and posed an increasing danger. Calocane had also been wanted by police for attacking an officer for almost a year by the time of the killings in June.
Yesterday, the victims’ families accused the authorities of having ‘blood on your hands’.
Speaking to The Times, Mr Hendy accused Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which was responsible for Calocane’s care, of ‘washing their hands’ of him
‘It’s not responsible and it’s not safe,’ he said. ‘It doesn’t look after people properly… That hasn’t helped him at all, or protected his rights at all, because he has now committed this terrible offence.’
Mr Hendy said Calocane’s unwillingness to engage with treatment was not unusual for people with serious mental health problems and called for a more ‘assertive’ approach.
The campaigner said the failure to deal effectively with severe mental illness was ‘causing a huge amount of distress and trauma to hundreds and hundreds of people each and every year’.
Calocane had a long and disturbing past that repeatedly brought him to the attention of the authorities.
One young woman was so terrified after being followed into her university accommodation by him that she jumped out of a window to escape.
She is said to have suffered severe injuries requiring surgery as a result, while Calocane was eventually sectioned.
The woman’s mother was said to be so concerned she is believed to have contacted the university about Calocane, but he was allowed to continue his mechanical engineering studies.
Another incident saw Calocane assault and then trap a flatmate in their kitchen in a row over a dirty shower.
It was claimed the university had urged police not to charge Calocane over the matter, and he was moved out of the accommodation. The university declined to comment on the ongoing case.
It is also understood he attacked two colleagues at the warehouse where he worked, and was banned from the premises.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare Chief Executive, Ifti Majid, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the families and friends of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, and everyone affected by the tragic events in Nottingham in June 2023.
‘As well as supporting Nottinghamshire Police with their investigations, in the event of a serious incident relating to a former patient, we robustly review our own interactions with that person to identify any learning.
‘In this case, the patient was under our care between May 2020 and September 2022 with episodes of care both as an inpatient and in the community as an outpatient.
‘It is important to remember that this person has been convicted of a crime of the most serious kind and there are many people who live with severe mental health issues who do not offend and are supported to live well in their community.
‘We always aim to care for people in the least restrictive way and to support people to live well in their own homes and society. If a patient no longer engages with our services and support and they do not meet criteria to be detained under the Mental Health Act, they are discharged back to the care of their GP and can be referred back into our services at any time.
‘Once again, I wish to send my condolences and thoughts to everyone affected by this case. We will continue to work with our partners in the Police and health services to continue to learn.’
At a previous court hearing, Calocane’s own defence barrister, Peter Joyce KC, said his client had been taken to mental health facilities by police several times due to his ‘extremely odd… bizarre, dangerous behaviour’, adding: ‘He ought to have been under the eye of mental health services.’
Calocane was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia three years before last summer’s rampage, which also saw him mow down three pedestrians with the van he stole from Mr Coates.
In between his diagnosis and the attack, the killer even visited MI5’s London headquarters and demanded they stop ‘controlling him’.
During the sentencing hearing, the judge had to call for a brief pause as prosecutor Karim Khalil KC struggled to contain his emotions as he outlined the severity of the attack on Grace and Barnaby as they walked home from a night out to celebrate the end of their first year.
The court heard that after spotting the students walking along the city’s Ilkeston Road, the killer took a double-sided dagger from his bag and followed them.
Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, making a statement alongside relatives of the victims. Also pictured is Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, (left) and Ian Coates’ son, James (middle)
Barnaby’s father David and brother Charlie outside Nottingham Crown Court yesterday
Grace’s brother, James, and father, Sanjoy, are seen outside Nottingham Crown Court
Mr Khalil said the ‘deliberate’ and ‘devastating violence’ he inflicted was captured on CCTV, and described how Grace demonstrated ‘incredible bravery’ to try to fight Calocane off Barnaby, before he ‘turned his attention to her’. Both ended up collapsed on the ground before Calocane then ‘calmly walked away’, the court heard.
During the two-minute attack, residents who were alerted by Grace’s screams began dialling 999. One man reported ‘an awful, blood-curdling scream’, while another heard Grace shouting ‘Don’t do it! Don’t do it!’ before Calocane turned to attack her.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene and the two friends were taken to hospital, but could not be saved. The court heard that Grace had suffered stab wounds to 23 areas of her body, while Barnaby had been knifed around ten areas of his body. Both died from stab wounds.
Shortly afterwards, bearded Calocane – dressed all in black – was caught on camera trying to break in through a bedroom window at a homeless hostel in Alexandra Park, a mile-and-a-half away.
Resident Trevor Proverb, 59, told how he fended Calocane off with a ‘right-hook’ after he jumped on to the window ledge.
Mr Coates was then fatally stabbed nearby – just five months short of his retirement – before his Vauxhall Vivaro was used to mow down Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller. Calocane was stopped at the wheel soon afterwards and arrested.
He pleaded guilty in November to the manslaughter of medical student Grace, a talented hockey player who had represented England, and Barnaby, a talented cricketer who played for the university team, along with Mr Coates, a keen angler.
The defendant, who graduated from Nottingham a year earlier, also admitted the attempted murder of the three pedestrians. But he denied murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
Calocane appearing in court for his sentencing
At his sentencing hearing, defence barrister Peter Joyce KC said his client had once visited MI5’s London headquarters (pictured) and asked them to stop ‘controlling him’
Pedestrians Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller all survived
Post source: Daily mail