Nottingham Attacks: Inquiry Finds Death Potentially Preventable
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Attacks victim’s death ‘potentially preventable’
Image source: Supplied
Image caption: Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023.
By Asha Patel and Will Jefford, East Midlands
Published 8 September 2026, 11:29 BST
Updated 22 minutes ago
The death of student Barnaby Webber in the Nottingham attacks was "potentially preventable", an inquiry has heard.
Along with Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, Barnaby was killed by Valdo Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, in June 2023.
On Tuesday, ahead of closing statements at the Nottingham Inquiry, it was told that while Barnaby’s injuries had a less than 50% chance of survival, Grace and Ian’s deaths were "not preventable".
A panel of medical professionals assessed the emergency response on the day of the attacks, concluding that while multiple factors would have needed to align for Barnaby to survive, his death was "potentially preventable" if blood products had been administered more rapidly.
The families of the victims reacted with sorrow as the assessments were read out by counsel to the inquiry, Rachel Langdale KC. Grace’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, left the hearing room.
Background of the Inquiry
The Nottingham Inquiry began hearing evidence in February, with over 100 witnesses questioned over three months.
Witnesses included:
- Police staff and officers
- Mental healthcare practitioners
- Calocane’s former flatmates and family members
- Bereaved families and survivors of the attacks
A number of revelations emerged during the evidence about errors in Calocane’s care, his previous interactions with police, and failings before, during, and after the attacks.
Calocane, who also seriously injured three others, is serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security facility after pleading guilty to manslaughter and attempted murder.
The inquiry continues to hear updates in evidence since the conclusion of oral evidence earlier this year.
Closing Remarks
In her closing remarks, Langdale highlighted the importance of bereaved families’ efforts in securing public inquiries:
"Too often these cases are dependent upon bereaved families campaigning at a time when they are least prepared to do so… it is an outstanding public service that they perform."
She added that the inquiry had revealed numerous failures, reiterating the need for urgent improvements in mental health care and emergency response systems.
