Nottingham attacks: Triple killer's sentence to be reviewed

A man who killed three people in Nottingham will have his sentence reviewed by judges after the attorney general said it was unduly lenient.

Valdo Calocane stabbed to death Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates in Nottingham last June.

He admitted manslaughter and was given a hospital order after the 32-year-old was found to be suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

The sentence will be referred to the Court of Appeal.

The families of students Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Mr Coates, 65, said they were glad that the attorney general agreed Calocane's sentence was "wrong".

Calocane also admitted the attempted murder of three others, who were struck by a van - which had been stolen from Mr Coates - in the city centre.

The Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP, said the case "shocked a nation", so it was "no surprise" she received a number of referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

She added: "Having received detailed legal advice and considered the issues raised very carefully, I have concluded that the sentence imposed against Calocane, for the offences of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and attempted murder, was unduly lenient and will be referred to the Court of Appeal.

"My thoughts remain with all of Calocane's victims, as well as their families and friends, who have shown such immeasurable strength during this devastating time."

Members of the victims' families met the attorney general privately on Tuesday.

They said: "We are optimistic that when this reaches the Royal Courts of Justice for its appeal, there will be an outcome that provides some of the appropriate justice that we have been calling for.

"It is important to remember that this is just one part of the tragic failures in this case. The investigation into the mental health trust, the CPS and the Nottingham and Leicestershire Police still continue.

"We maintain there are serious failures in all three agencies that must be fully addressed."

According to the families, the attorney general's decision was based on "insufficient investigation" into Calocane's culpability and the minimum term not taking into account the "planning" and "pre-meditation" of the attacks and that a hospital order was "insufficient" and should have carried a "penal" element.

Mr Coates's son James said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the decision.

He told the BBC: "We are really glad that the attorney general has decided to go with the appeal.

"We have been let down over the last few months from various different agencies - it feels like something bad happens every single week.

"[Being told about the appeal] was like a weight had been taken off our shoulders."

The Court of Appeal may decide to keep the sentence as it is, increase it, or refuse the attorney general's application.

The case has prompted a series of reviews into the NHS, police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), with the families of the three victims calling for a public inquiry.

Nottinghamshire Police, which admitted it "should have done more" to arrest Calocane prior to the killings, said a warrant for his arrest had been issued after he failed to attend court in September 2022 over an alleged assault on a police officer.

The force is being investigated by the IOPC, which is also looking into Leicestershire Police, after it emerged the force was looking into a report Calocane had assaulted two colleagues just weeks before the killings on 13 June.

NHS England has ordered a major investigation into Calocane's contact with mental health services, and his care under the Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust is being reviewed by the Care Quality Commission.

Meanwhile, an inspection into the CPS's involvement has been widened after requests were made by the families, said His Majesty's Crown Prosecution Inspectorate (HMCPSI), which is carrying out the review.

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