Killer kicked officer at police station, inquiry shown

An inquiry into the tragic Nottingham attacks has revealed footage capturing the moments when Valdo Calocane, the assailant, became violent while in police custody. On 13 June 2023, Calocane fatally stabbed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates, also attempting to cause harm to three additional victims. CCTV recordings presented during the inquiry show Calocane initially appearing calm as he was escorted out of a police van, only to suddenly kick a female police officer, who then recoiled in pain. Following this, officers restrained him on the floor.

The investigation further scrutinized the police response immediately after the attacks, including how senior officers managed the situation. Retired judge Deborah Taylor KC leads the inquiry, which is scheduled to hear testimonies from over 100 witnesses across nine weeks. During the hearing, Ch Insp Lisa Murray from Nottinghamshire Police described the officer’s reaction to Calocane’s unexpected assault in custody as shock, noting the officer’s own statement emphasized that the incident was unforeseen.

Additional footage showed Calocane at the custody booking desk where he was notably uncooperative, responding to a sergeant’s questions with expletives despite assurances that the inquiries related solely to his care. When questioned about possible hallucinations or hearing voices, Calocane refused to engage. Murray explained that while he was selective in answering questions unrelated to the offense, he mostly declined to cooperate when asked about evidential matters. She also highlighted that Calocane refused to provide medical samples during custody.

The inquiry examined police communications as well, showing footage of force incident manager Ch Insp David Mather being informed around 07:00 BST, roughly three hours after the attacks began, that two people had died. Mather responded by downplaying the severity, a comment that attracted criticism. Victims’ representatives questioned the adequacy of police briefings and the use of CCTV in the critical moments following the first killings. Sophie Cartwright KC suggested Mather lacked situational awareness and failed to provide updated briefings reflecting the evolving threat level and missing information on locations and victim numbers. While Supt Simon Allardice acknowledged that fuller briefings could have been delivered after Calocane’s arrest, he maintained that a high alert was already active. Tim Moloney KC, representing the bereaved families, criticized coordination with CCTV operators, arguing that the suspect’s tracking was insufficient despite the danger posed. Allardice conceded that additional checks should have been made to ensure effective communication with CCTV teams

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