Attacks families call for misconduct meeting delay

Families of the Nottingham attacks victims have labelled misconduct proceedings against police officers as "farcical" and say they should be delayed.

Valdo Calocane allegedly attacked two employees at a warehouse in Leicestershire about five weeks before he stabbed to death Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates in Nottingham on 13 June 2023.

Leicestershire Police said two police constables and a sergeant would face a misconduct meeting following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report into the investigation of this incident.

But in a statement, the families claimed the IOPC's work was "flawed, hastened and incomplete" and the hearing, due on Wednesday, should not go ahead.

Calocane was reported to have punched a man in the face and pushed a woman over at a warehouse in Kegworth in May 2023.

The IOPC report, which has not been seen by the BBC but viewed by the PA news agency, concluded police failed to properly investigate the assault, which has led to a misconduct meeting rather than a more serious misconduct hearing.

A meeting carries a maximum sanction of a final written warning.

The families of 19-year-old students Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old caretaker Mr Coates, said they felt flaws in the report meant the misconduct meeting should be postponed.

The statement said: "The detail and quality of this investigation, recommendations and conduct of the IOPC falls well short of expectations.

"There are many areas that have not been fully explored, there are inconsistencies, duplications, significant errors and vital omissions.

"We question how this farcical misconduct meeting can proceed.

"It is not acceptable that the watchdog who should be there to gather the full truth, impartially, in order to uphold the standard we expect of our police officers, should be able to behave in this manner.

"We have asked that the meeting is postponed until full disclosure has been made available."

They also said questions and requests for meetings with both the IOPC and senior police leadership had not been satisfactorily met.

A spokesperson for the IOPC added: "We completed our investigation in September last year and concluded that three officers should attend misconduct meetings.

"As these are yet to take place, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time."

Leicestershire Police has been approached for comment.

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