Watchdog staff comments on attack inquiry 'inhumane'

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

The mother of one of the Nottingham attacks victims has criticised the police watchdog over allegations its staff suggested their inquiry was "politically motivated".

Emma Webber, mum of Barnaby Webber, said she did not trust the watchdog, adding they had been "inhumane".

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) reopened its inquiry into Leicestershire Police in March, after new evidence about Valdo Calocane assaulting two people weeks before he killed Ian Coates, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber.

The Times reported IOPC staff told officers they would "get off with words of advice or reflective practice", and their disciplinary case was "being driven" by the victims' families.

Emma Webber, the mother of Barnaby Webber, and Dr Sanjoy Kumar, the father of Grace O'Malley Kumar, attended a memorial walk to lay flowers in Nottingham, to mark the second anniversary of the attacks

The police watchdog has removed some staff from investigating the case of Calocane after they allegedly gave officers details of their investigation.

"It's hard to have any reaction other than just pure horror," added Mrs Webber.

"It's indicative of the whole sorry, terrible, tragic mess, and the car crash of our institutions that has led to us having a statutory public inquiry."

Calocane, who has paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed Mr Coates, Mr Webber and Ms O'Malley-Kumar on 13 June 2023, and was sentenced to a hospital order in January 2024.

The IOPC said it had commissioned an independent external review, with sources claiming the staff accused of making the comments were not the decision-makers about the case or about disciplinary action.

An IOPC spokesperson said: "We are aware of allegations made about IOPC staff by Leicestershire Police officers who are subjects of an IOPC investigation.

"The allegations involved comments alleged to have been made about that investigation.

"We are treating this matter extremely seriously and have commissioned an external party to investigate them alongside other complaints about the investigation made by the families of the victims.

"We will continue to provide the families with regular updates as these matters progress."