An ongoing public inquiry has revealed critical failures in mental health and policing systems preceding the 2023 Nottingham triple murder, where Valdo Calocane, a man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, fatally stabbed three people and seriously injured three more.
Calocane, a migrant from Guinea-Bissau who arrived in the UK in 2007, carried out the attacks on June 13, 2023, killing university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and maintenance worker Ian Coates. He then stole Coates’ van, striking additional pedestrians.
The inquiry has established that Calocane was formally diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in July 2020 and placed under the care of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Despite his condition, he frequently missed appointments and refused medication. Mental health professionals later discharged him from specialist care. A key disclosed reason for this decision was concern over the “over-representation of young black males in detention,” the inquiry heard. This choice was made even as one psychiatrist warned that Calocane might “end up killing someone.”
Further, the inquiry examined Calocane’s history of violent and antisocial behaviour. In 2020, after he attempted to kick down a neighbour’s door, authorities considered detaining him but elected to release him into the community. Nottinghamshire Police have acknowledged they were aware of a series of “unpleasant and antisocial” incidents involving Calocane prior to the killings, though a force representative stated these did not reasonably predict the fatal attack and denied any cover-up.
The families of the victims have accused both the NHS and police of institutional failure. They allege the police initially denied any prior dealings with Calocane, contradicting evidence presented at the inquiry.
The findings point to a complex interplay of mental health management, risk assessment, and institutional priorities. The inquiry continues to examine how multiple agencies responded to Calocane’s deteriorating mental state and escalating behaviour, seeking to understand if the triple murder was preventable. The proceedings have sparked broader questions about protocol in community mental health care and inter-agency communication when managing high-risk individuals.
