Police have admitted they ‘should have done more’ to stop Nottingham triple-killer Valdo Calocane before he went on a stabbing rampage that left three dead.
The attacker killed nineteen-year-old university students Grace O’Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber as well as school caretaker Ian Coates early in the morning on June 13 last year.
Nottinghamshire Police confirmed today it had been in contact with Calocane, who is awaiting sentencing, ‘on a number of occasions between 2020 and 2022’.
When Calocane carried out his horrific triple killing a warrant had been out for his arrest for a period of nine months, Assistant Chief Constable Rob Griffin confirmed.
In a statement issued today, Mr Griffin said: ‘The devastating impact that the events of 13 June have had and continue to have for the families of those killed and those that survived these dreadful attacks are immeasurable.
‘I can confirm that Nottinghamshire Police previously engaged with the suspect, mostly while supporting our colleagues in the NHS on a number of occasions between 2020 and 2022.
Valdo Calocane went on a stabbing rampage that left three dead
The attacker killed nineteen-year-old university students Grace O’Malley Kumar
Calocane also stabbed and killed university student Barnaby Webber
‘In September 2021, we were requested to support a Section 135 warrant to section the suspect under the Mental Health Act.
‘We transported the suspect to Highbury Hospital and during this encounter he assaulted one of our police officers.
‘In August 2022, he was reported for summons and was due to attend court on 22 September 2022 for the assault on our officer.
‘He failed to appear on that occasion and a warrant for his arrest was issued in September 2022.
‘The defendant was never arrested for that warrant which was still outstanding at the point of his arrest in June 2023.
‘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.’
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