Police watchdog only just launches probe into Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane after cops missed chances to stop rampage
THE police watchdog has today finally launched a probe into killer Valdo Calocane who knifed three innocent people to death.
It comes after cops missed chances to stop the horror Nottingham rampage, which left two university students and a grandfather dead.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also said he has not ruled out an inquiry into the attacks.
Calocane last week pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility for killing Grace O’Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber, and Ian Coates
He will be indefinitely detained in Ashworth Hospital – where cop killer Dale Cregan said in 2016 he had a “cushy” life.
It has now been revealed the IOPC had no idea about four previous occasions Nottinghamshire Police had contact with the killer over his violence.
It is believed the force did not report details of these to the Government body.
Officials are now examining if the contact was missed opportunities to stop the triple killer.
It was then revealed this afternoon that Leicestershire Police had now referred itself to the IOPC.
The families of the victims today met with Mr Sunak and spoke outside Number 10.
Barnaby’s dad David said: “We did get an assurance from the Prime Minister himself that if it’s required, they’re not ruling out a public inquiry, and they will do a public inquiry.”
Grace’s brother, James O’Malley-Kumar, added: “We’re not in a rush, we’ve lost our loved ones now, we’ve lost Grace, we’ve lost Ian, we’ve lost Barnaby- we want (an investigation into the attacks) to be as thorough as possible to make sure those gaps are filled and the relevant people have been held accountable.”
James said that he had not been coping well since losing his sister.
He continued: “I’ve lost my best friend, I’ve been lost since June 13 and I’m struggling immensely, but this is what I can do to make my sister proud, so I will do everything I can.
“That’s why I’m here today.”
The announcement that there would be a watchdog probe came after the force said it was called after Calocane attacked two colleagues at Avarto Warehouse, in Kegworth on May 5, 2023.
At the time a warrant was still outstanding for Calocane’s arrest for failing to appear at court over an attack on a police officer.
Just one month later he killed Barnaby, Grace and Ian – and mowed down others in the van he’d stolen on that horror morning.
The IOPC was this afternoon looking at three previous interactions between Nottinghamshire Police and Calocane, 32.
It was also demanding to see the findings of the force’s internal review – after it failed to make this available.
PROBE INTO COPS’ ‘FAILINGS’
A spokesman for the IOPC said: “Following the sentencing of Valdo Calocane several incidents involving previous police contact with him have been brought to our attention which we were unaware of.
“As a result, we asked Nottinghamshire Police and Leicestershire Police to provide us with information promptly about those incidents to establish whether there are any matters that should be referred to us.
“We have this afternoon received a referral from Leicestershire Police about its investigation into assaults Valdo Calocane was alleged to have committed on 5 May 2023, which we are assessing to determine what further action may be required from us.
“In relation to a warrant being issued for Mr Calocane’s arrest in 2022 Nottinghamshire Police provided us with information about that shortly after the tragic events of 13 June 2023.
“We decided it did not meet our referral criteria because the contact had not been recent and no conduct issues were identified for any individual officer.
“Nottinghamshire Police subsequently carried out an internal review of matters linked to the warrant and we have now also requested details of that learning exercise, in case there are any issues that would require our attention.”
If you had just done your jobs properly, there is a very good chance my beautiful boy would be alive today.
Emma Webber
Policing Minister Chris Philp was today meeting with Chief Constable Kate Meynell as she continued to let her officers “take the fall” despite her being the country’s top murder cop.
There was pressure on the Home Secretary to step in and order a review into cops’ missed chances to stop Calocane – in the same way the Health Secretary has ordered an enquiry into mental health teams.
A source said: “It’s fair to say it has all come as a huge shock to the IOPC that Nottinghamshire had such a record of interaction with Calocane after his outbursts of violence.
“That’s what it is there for – to check if cops have missed opportunities to stop serious and devastating crime.
“The IOPC thought it had given the correct advice and now it has discovered it is missing serious information indeed from its timeline. They have been blindsided.”
The arrest warrant was issued after Calocane failed to attend court on September 22, 2022 for attacking a cop so seriously he had to be Tasered.
HEADLOCK ATTACK
Based on the information Nottinghamshire Police provided the IOPC on the warrant, investigators told the force to carry out an “internal review”.
However, the watchdog was not aware Calocane had twice been arrested for criminal damage in May 2020 for smashing up student accommodation.
Nor did it know cops were called to a headlock attack Calocane carried out on a university flatmate in January 2022.
The call-outs represent a pattern of behaviour that was ignored when in fact it should have escalated to pursuing the warrant and tracking down Calocane.
The IOPC also did not know Leicestershire cops had been called to Calocane attacking two colleagues at a factory just a month before the killings.
A report of the call should have been logged with Calocane’s home force in Nottinghamshire.
The details would have been also been available to Nottinghamshire on the NPC – and should have triggered the warrant for arrest that was still active.
Timeline of the Nottingham attacks
The attacks started around 4am on June 13 on Ilkeston Road, Nottingham when Calocane launched at Barnaby and Grace.
Prosecutor Karim Khalil KC said the “brutal” attack was captured from a taxi’s dashcam.
He added: “That footage shows that the devastating violence of the attacks was mirrored only by the deliberate and merciless way the defendant acted.”
Once he killed Grace and Barnaby, rampaging Calocane attempted to break into a home but was punched in the face by a stunned occupant.
Undeterred, he made his way to Magdala Road where he came across caretaker Ian.
He then used the van to run down the three pedestrians.
Police announced a “major incident” was taking place around 7am.
In the hours that followed, they revealed three people were dead, another was fighting for his life and two were injured.
Valdo Calocane was identified as the man, and arrested on suspicion of murder.
The families of Grace and Barnaby gathered at a vigil the day after they were killed.
On June 16, three days after the attack, he was charged with the triple murder.
One week after the attack, one of the men who was run down by Calocane’s van opened up about the horror and said he “remembered everything“.
On July 12, grandfather Ian was farewelled at a service filled with loved ones.
Two days later, “extraordinary” Barnaby’s mum broke down in tears at his funeral – where hundreds gathered to say goodbye.
And on July 21, more than 1,000 mourners came together to pay tribute to Grace.
Calocane was found guilty of the manslaughter of Grace and Barnaby, and 65-year-old grandfather Ian Coates on January 23.
Crucially, all of the missed chances should have all been reported to the IOPC for interrogation, critics said today.
The revelations come after victim Barnaby Webber’s mum Emma blasted: “To Assistant Chief Constable, Rob Griffin, who finally released this information publicly yesterday, I say this: You have blood on your hands.
“If you had just done your jobs properly, there is a very good chance my beautiful boy would be alive today.”
Nottinghamshire Police has been blasted for “playing down” its failure to arrest or charge Calocane with violent offences – saying charges would not have seen him sent to custody.
Rob Griffin said in a pre-emptive statement: “I have personally reviewed this matter and we should have done more to arrest him.
“However, because of the circumstance prevailing, at the time of the alleged assault, in my opinion it is highly unlikely that he would have received a custodial sentence.
“Of course, an arrest might have triggered a route back into mental health services, but as we have seen from his previous encounters with those services, it seems unlikely that he would have engaged in this process.”
‘SYSTEMATIC FAILURES’
Critics say community order would have force Calocane to interact with mental health teams and put him back on the radar.
Ex-Met Chief Supt. Dal Babu has dismissed Nottinghamshire’s statement and said cops SHOULD have intervened.
He said: “Clearly the families are angry – and they have every right to be angry.
“There have been systematic failures by the police not to intervene and arrest and I don’t accept the comment by the assistant chief constable.”
He added: “You would have thought the Chief Constable would have made herself available over this.
“She is ironically the lead for homicide on the National Police Chief’s Council.
“I think the police should have intervened and if he had been arrested that would have triggered further issues.”
You have blood on your hands.
Emma Webber
Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, were targeted in a frenzied attack by Calocane last June 13 after the masked knifeman waited in an alleyway for “suitable” victims.
Instead of fleeing, Grace tried to protect stabbed Barnaby and was also slain, leading to calls she should receive the George Cross.
Calocane then lured soon-to-retire dad Ian Coates, 65, from his van before stabbing him to death and using the vehicle
After sentencing families claimed they had been let down by “systemic failure”.
They aid they had been “railroaded” into accepting Calocane’s lesser plea of manslaughter by diminished responsibility, instead of murder.
The killer’s detention in a high-security mental hospital is set to be for life – but if his drug-resistant schizophrenia recovers he could be out in just three years.
The Attorney General said on Friday she would review Calocane’s sentence to see if it was unduly lenient.
The mental health teams that appear to have lost Calocane in the months before his deadly spree are facing two separate enquiries, including one ordered by the police.
Cops have so far been allowed to hold an internal review, the findings of which have not been made public.
