Nottingham attacks: Valdo Calocane admits killing three people
Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar died at the scene of the attacks A man has admitted killing three people who died in separate attacks in Nottingham. Students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, died after being stabbed on 13 June.
Valdo Calocane, also known as Adam Mendes, denied murder but admitted three counts of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. The 32-year-old also admitted the attempted murder of three others. University of Nottingham students Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar were fatally stabbed in Ilkeston Road just after 04:00 BST, while Mr Coates was found dead with knife injuries in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.
Pedestrians Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller were then driven at while in Milton Street and Upper Parliament Street, in the city centre. Calocane’s barrister, Peter Joyce KC, told the court the pleas had been entered on the basis of diminished responsibility. The prosecution will now review medical evidence before considering whether to accept the pleas.
Thousands attended vigils at the University of Nottingham and the Old Market Square to remember the victims. The family of Mr Webber – a history student from Taunton in Somerset – described their “complete devastation” at his death, saying he was a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to”. Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s family said she was a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady”, and that she would be “so dearly missed”.
The medical student, from Woodford in north-east London, had represented Essex in cricket as a teenager, and had also played for England Hockey. Mr Coates worked at the Huntingdon Academy in Nottingham and was four months from retirement. His sons, Lee and James, said he was a keen fisherman and “die-hard” Nottingham Forest fan.
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram.
Send your story ideas to [email protected].[1][2]