Retired judge to lead public inquiry into attacks

Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were stabbed to death on 13 June 2023

A retired senior judge will lead a public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks, which saw three people stabbed to death.

Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were killed by Valdo Calocane in the city on 13 June 2023.

The deaths prompted widespread criticism from their families over how the authorities handled the case.

On Tuesday, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood told Parliament the inquiry would be chaired by Her Honour Deborah Taylor, resident judge at Southwark Crown Court and the recorder of Westminster until her retirement in 2022.

The families of Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar attended Parliament

Mahmood described Ms Taylor as a "very experienced, senior retired judge" and said she would be meeting the victims' families.

The justice secretary said the inquiry chair would make sure the probe worked "at pace" and that it would make its findings as "quickly as possible".

Mahmood said the statutory inquiry "will have the power to compel witnesses" and "must be thorough in its assessment of the facts".

She added the full terms of reference would be placed in the libraries of both Houses "at the earliest opportunity".

Speaking after the announcement, Mr Webber's mother Emma said: "It's not cause for celebration, there's no moment of joy or arm punching.

"I hope it's the moment of the beginning of reckoning, of the beginning of just answers and truth, justice, accountability and everything we've been saying."

University of Nottingham students Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar were fatally stabbed in Ilkeston Road, while Mr Coates was found dead with knife injuries in Magdala Road.

Calocane then used Mr Coates's van to drive into three pedestrians - Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller - in the city centre.

Wayne Birkett (left) was one of three pedestrians hit by Calocane

Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia before the attacks, was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024 after admitting three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.

At the time, Mrs Webber said "true justice has not been served".

The case has prompted a number of reviews including a mental health homicide review, commissioned by NHS England.

It looked into the treatment given to Calocane by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust before the killings, as well as interactions the NHS had with other agencies involved in his care.

The independent review found the "system had got it wrong" and identified other failings, including his risk not being "fully understood, managed documented or communicated", prompting apologies from NHS England and the healthcare trust.

Calocane was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia three years before the killings

A review into the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) found while prosecutors had been right to accept Calocane's pleas of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, they could have handled the case better.

And in May last year, judges ruled Calocane's sentence was not unduly lenient.

In addition, the Independent Office for Police Conduct is looking into prior contact that both Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire police forces had with Calocane.

The families of Mr Webber, Ms O'Malley-Kumar and Mr Coates met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to discuss plans for a judge-led public inquiry in February.

At the time, Sir Keir said it would "take place within weeks" and the families were told a "number of different agencies" would be scrutinised.

Ms O'Malley-Kumar's mother Sinead described the meeting with the prime minister as the "most important day", adding the announcement on Tuesday was "a formality".

She said previous reviews were "inadequate" and she wanted "people to be held accountable" through the inquiry.