Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar died at the scene of the attacks
By Gavin Bevis & Dan Martin
BBC News, East Midlands
The police watchdog has started an investigation into a force’s contact with Valdo Calocane before he killed three people in Nottingham.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) review follows a voluntary referral by Nottinghamshire Police of complaints it has received from the victims’ families.
Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates died in the attacks.
The IOPC will also examine how the force handled the murder investigation.
The watchdog said the complaints alleged there were flaws in the handling of the investigation and missed opportunities by police to prevent the deaths on 13 June.
It added allegations had also been made over the force not executing an outstanding warrant for Calocane’s arrest prior the killings, and concerns raised about Nottinghamshire Police’s communication with the families.
IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: “Our sympathies are with the families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates, and everyone else affected by the tragic events which took place on June 13 last year.
“We have now decided to investigate complaints made about Nottinghamshire Police’s involvement with Valdo Calocane.
“Along with this we are investigating the actions and decisions of Leicestershire Police, which we announced last week.”
Image source, Nottinghamshire Police
An arrest warrant had been issued for Valdo Calocane in September 2022
Leicestershire Police had referred itself to the IOPC, after it emerged the force was investigating a report Calocane had assaulted two colleagues on 5 May at a warehouse in Kegworth.
The force said no-one was seriously hurt and Calocane had reportedly been escorted off-site by security before police arrived.
The IOPC added Nottinghamshire Police had also contacted the watchdog on 30 January, concerning prior contact it had with Calocane dating back to 2020.
It has emerged officers from the force had not detained Calocane after an arrest warrant was issued in September 2022, over the alleged assault of a police officer in 2021.
The warrant was still outstanding at the time of the killings, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin confirmed.
Barnaby Webber’s mother Emma welcomed the IOPC investigation
Calocane, who a court heard suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was given a hospital order on 25 January after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.
Speaking on behalf of the families, Barnaby Webber’s mother Emma welcomed the IOPC review.
She added: “It saddens us, however, that this investigation has had to result from us rather than the Nottinghamshire force doing the right thing and referring themselves.
“The failings and our concerns have been well documented and we now welcome a thorough independent body to look into all points raised.
“We will also ensure that we request the opportunity to meet with the IOPC in person so that we can provide our statements and relevant evidence.”
Nottinghamshire Police has been contacted for comment.
Image source, PA Media
After the sentencing, Mr Coates’s son James said Calocane had “got away with murder”
The IOPC investigation is the latest in a string of ongoing reviews into the case.
Nottinghamshire Police’s involvement in the case is already being investigated by the College of Policing, in a review commissioned by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry.
Meanwhile, NHS England said it would order a major investigation, called the Independent Mental Health Homicide Review, which will examine whether the deaths could have been predicted or prevented.
The health secretary has also announced a special review of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which treated Calocane, while the attorney general has ordered a review into the Crown Prosecution Service’s handling of the case, and is considering whether judges should review the 32-year-old’s sentence.
The victims’ families say the various reviews will not be sufficient and have called for a full public inquiry to look at the way all the authorities managed the case.
They met Rishi Sunak to raise their concerns, with the prime minister saying they had “perfectly reasonable” questions about the case.
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