A corporate manslaughter investigation into Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), which treated triple killer Valdo Calocane, has been welcomed by Barnaby Webber’s mother as a crucial step toward accountability and reform in public services.
Barnaby, 19, originally from Taunton, was fatally stabbed alongside Grace O’Malley-Kumar, also 19, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates in Nottingham on June 13, 2023. After the knife attack, Calocane attempted to murder additional pedestrians using a stolen van, leaving several seriously injured.
Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic under NHFT care from 2020 to 2022, had been sectioned four times before his discharge to a GP. The trust’s Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service had lost track of him after missed appointments, a failure highlighted during a public inquiry that heard the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.
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Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, has now launched an investigation into NHFT’s care and treatment of Calocane. A spokesperson confirmed the probe, marking a rare and significant examination of systemic failures.
Emma Webber described the investigation as “the beginning of the reckoning.” She emphasized that the move sends “much-needed shockwaves across our public services, and in particular the NHS.”
Mrs. Webber stated: “This investigation demands accountability at every level—from leadership to clinicians—who failed to manage and recognize the threat Calocane posed. Their neglect allowed him to evade treatment and ultimately commit these horrific murders.”
She called for full transparency and candor from all parties involved, stressing the importance of learning from these failures to safeguard others in the future.
The public inquiry, which concluded in June after hearing from 164 witnesses, awaits the final report and recommendations from chairwoman Her Honour Deborah Taylor expected next year.
NHFT confirmed it will cooperate fully with the ongoing police investigation and the statutory inquiry. A spokesperson remarked: “We understand the importance of these processes for affected families, survivors, and local communities and remain committed to transparency.”
This landmark investigation represents a pivotal moment in addressing systemic issues in mental health care and ensuring justice for Barnaby, Grace, Ian, and their families.