Nottingham Inquiry: Woman broke spine after falling from window trying to flee triple killer

A woman who sustained a spinal injury after falling from a window while trying to flee from Valdo Calocane, a triple murderer, shared her frustration at an inquiry when she was told he could not be prosecuted on account of mental health issues. The woman, whose injury required surgical intervention, recounted that a police officer informed her at the time that Calocane was not prosecutable due to his mental condition. During the inquiry, it was revealed that the same officer warned her that if she had not escaped, Calocane “could have killed” her.

Over the course of nine weeks, the inquiry is expected to hear from more than 100 witnesses, including police officers, NHS personnel, and former flatmates. Evidence presented so far indicates that Calocane, who was a student at the University of Nottingham, experienced his first psychotic episode in May 2020. On the night of May 24, 2020, Calocane broke into a woman’s flat in Brook Court, Radford. The 22-year-old victim, who testified anonymously through an Italian interpreter, had moved from Italy earlier that year and was working as a cleaner at the time.

The woman described returning home from work at 8 pm and hearing persistent knocking and kicking at her door. When she asked who it was, the reply escalated from a quiet request to demanding she open the door, which caused her to panic. Before she could look through the spyhole, the door began shaking violently, seeming on the verge of being forced open. Fearing for her safety, she put on her pajamas and attempted to call for help by leaning out the window, but the lockdown restrictions meant nobody was available to assist her. In a desperate attempt to escape, she slipped and fell 10 to 12 feet, sustaining serious back injuries that left her unable to move or speak initially.

The woman further testified that when police arrived and brought Calocane into the courtyard, he tried to approach her, his eyes wide open, but was restrained by officers. While giving her statement in hospital, she expressed feelings of worry and anger, questioning the outcome for Calocane. Following her discharge, the woman was told by a police officer that Calocane could not be prosecuted due to his mental health problems, specifically schizophrenia, and that he had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital instead. She described feeling upset and angry, believing that the psychiatric hospital was insufficient but accepted it due to lack of alternatives.

At the time of the initial incident, Calocane had not received a formal diagnosis but was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia before carrying out several deadly attacks across Nottingham in 2023. The inquiry heard from PC Richard Marsden, who managed the incident involving the woman’s fall, and had sought professional advice on Calocane’s mental capacity from Dr Faizal Seedat of Highbury Hospital, where Calocane had been detained. Based on Dr Seedat’s assessment that Calocane was “not in touch with reality” during the relevant period, the police concluded they could not proceed with prosecution. The woman, who had lived in England only a few months, was not informed that this decision could be challenged.

Evidence heard during the inquiry revealed that, per Nottinghamshire Police policy, cases involving suspects with possible mental health disorders should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service. However, this referral was not made in Calocane’s case. Officers viewed medical notes as “opinion” rather than conclusive evidence. Following advice from Dr Seedat, Marsden and his sergeant decided not to interview Calocane further. On the same day as the attempted break-in, Calocane had also tried to forcibly enter another flat in the same complex, where he believed his mother was located. None of the officers managing either incident linked these events, though Marsden admitted in the inquiry that these should have been connected.

Calocane was arrested after the initial incident but released back to Brook Court later that day. His custody notes indicated that he spoke about “seeing the devil” but no additional action was taken at that time. Insp Katie Eustace acknowledged during evidence that the incident was not given adequate attention. The inquiry also heard from a former neighbour, identified as Liam, who reported that Calocane had repeatedly knocked on his door and exhibited threatening behavior, including a threat in 2022 to rape Liam’s partner, though they chose not to involve the police

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