Nottingham attacks: Funeral held for 'angelic' Grace O'Malley-Kumar

Grace's mother described her as "a perfect gift"

The father of Nottingham attack victim Grace O'Malley-Kumar has described his daughter as an "angelic girl" in a poignant eulogy at her funeral.

More than 1,000 mourners attended a service for the 19-year-old at London's Westminster Cathedral on Friday.

University of Nottingham students Ms O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, also 19, were stabbed to death in Ilkeston Road on 13 June.

School caretaker Ian Coates, 65, was also killed in the attacks.

Relatives of Barnaby Webber, who also died in the attacks, attended Ms O'Malley-Kumar's funeral

During the service for medical student Ms O'Malley-Kumar, her father Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said: "No father should be called upon to give a eulogy for their child.

"It's not the natural order of things. It generally means something really unnatural has taken place and unfortunately for me, my beloved daughter Grace has been taken away from us."

Dr Kumar spoke about his daughter's dedication to medicine and mentioned she had volunteered to vaccinate people when he became the operations lead for a Covid vaccination centre in Waltham Forest.

The congregation heard Ms O'Malley-Kumar had wanted to apply to the Royal Army Medical Corps to further her medical training, inspired by her father and uncle, an orthopaedic surgeon.

Dr Kumar said: "I look back now and I am astonished by her resolve.

"Here we have a child who wanted to outdo her father and her uncle in public service.

"I have to ask, what kind of angelic child tries to outdo others in serving her country and her community, but that is exactly the sort of girl Grace was, she was truly amazing."

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral

Her mother Sinead O'Malley told the service her daughter had been "cruelly and inexplicably taken".

"She came into our lives here in Westminster at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington," she said.

"Her birth registered here, and it is now from Westminster that she will leave.

"Grace was such a perfect gift to us."

A funeral for Mr Webber, a history student, was held at Taunton Minster in Taunton, Somerset, earlier this month.

Mr Webber's parents, Emma and David Webber, attended the funeral of Ms O'Malley Kumar as did Sir Kenneth Olisa, the King's representative in Greater London.

Former University of Nottingham student Valdo Calocane, 31, was charged with the murder of Ms O'Malley-Kumar, Mr Webber and Mr Coates.

Mr Calocane, of no fixed address, is due to enter pleas before Nottingham Crown Court on 25 September.

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