Son learned of Nottingham attacks victim's death through Instagram

The public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks has revealed deeply distressing details about how Ian Coates’ family was informed of his death. Ian, a 65-year-old grandfather and the son of a school caretaker, was fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane during a series of violent incidents on 13 June 2023. His son described receiving the heartbreaking news not through official channels but by an Instagram message from a family friend, illustrating a significant communication failure on the part of the authorities.

Valdo Calocane’s rampage began in the early hours of the morning, when he murdered two University of Nottingham students, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, at around 4:00 am on Ilkeston Road. After these attacks, he proceeded to kill Ian Coates at approximately 5:14 am on Magdala Road. Following this, Calocane used Ian’s van to injure several more people in the city centre. According to the inquiry, police arrived at the scene on Magdala Road shortly before 5:40 am as multiple areas of Nottingham were placed on lockdown. Despite the magnitude of these events, Ian’s sons James and Lee expressed frustration that they were left searching for answers themselves, resorting to work WhatsApp groups and repeated calls to the police without receiving clear information.

James and Lee Coates shared their experience of feeling “like an afterthought” throughout the aftermath. Despite numerous attempts to learn what had happened—calling emergency services, helplines, and even dialing 999—they were only formally informed of their father’s death late in the afternoon, mere minutes before a public announcement by Nottinghamshire Police. James recalled initially doubting the authenticity of the Instagram message, believing it could be a hoax or hacked account. Further compounding their distress was how they discovered details of a vigil held in Ian’s memory through a news outlet, rather than from official sources, underscoring a lack of direct communication from authorities managing the response to the tragedy.

Ian’s partner, Elaine Newton, also testified to her ordeal in the inquiry, recounting how she was first told by police officers that Ian had died in a traffic accident, only to later learn the truth that he had been stabbed. She described the confusion and emotional turmoil this misinformation caused, saying, “It felt like he’d been killed twice.” The family’s experience highlights critical shortcomings in providing clear and timely information, contributing to an already painful situation. The inquiry, chaired by retired judge Deborah Taylor KC and held in London, continues to examine the series of events surrounding these attacks, aiming to uncover lessons to prevent such failures in the future

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More