Father of Student Stabbed by Valdo Calocane Brands Police Decision 'Disgusting'
Sanjoy Kumar, the father of university student Grace O'Malley-Kumar, has told an inquiry that it is "disgusting" that teenage stabbing victims were tested for drugs and alcohol while their killer was not. Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic, was sentenced to a hospital order after killing three people and attempting to murder three others in Nottingham.
Details of the Nottingham Attacks
Grace O'Malley-Kumar, aged 19, was stabbed to death alongside her university friend Barnaby Webber in the early hours of June 13, 2023, on Ilkeston Road after a night out. Calocane then killed caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before running over three pedestrians with a stolen van. The violent rampage shocked the community and led to a lengthy legal process.
Dr Kumar's Testimony on Drug Testing
Dr Kumar, who is a GP and a forensic medical examiner with the Metropolitan Police, expressed his outrage during the central London inquiry. He revealed that he had to sign human tissue forms to release his daughter's body, but was not informed that this allowed samples to be taken for drug and alcohol testing. "They took samples from our children to test for drugs and alcohol. I was really struck by that being really quite disgusting," he said.
He added that Calocane was not tested for drugs while in custody, despite it being a standard forensic procedure. "Our children were tested, but the culprit wasn't, and from there on in, in terms of previous interactions and mental health, that was not made into a big thing at all," Dr Kumar stated. He emphasized that a hair sample could have been taken without Calocane's consent, potentially providing crucial evidence.
Police Response and Apology
Retired Nottinghamshire Police Detective Superintendent Leigh Sanders previously apologised to bereaved families for the decision not to take a hair sample from Calocane. However, he argued that such a sample "would not be able to provide analysis that showed drugs or alcohol in the system at a specific time or date." Dr Kumar countered this, stating, "If you're a detective of any description at all, and I think every detective watching this is going to agree, if you are here to detect crime, that means forensics is really important. And a basic part of that forensics is head hair."
Criticism of the Independent Office for Police Conduct
Dr Kumar also criticised the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), describing the organisation as "unprofessional and nothing but a joke." He recounted a meeting where a decision-maker held a prayer upon their arrival, calling it "the most absurd thing I have ever seen in my life." "We were asking serious questions and the decision-maker said 'let's say a prayer'. It was absurd," he told the inquiry.
Families' Ongoing Grievances
On Wednesday morning, Barnaby Webber's parents, Emma and David Webber, expressed their anger after learning that police officers accessed footage from the attacks and sent WhatsApp messages about their son's injuries. Emma Webber described one message as "disgusting and grotesque," while David Webber said, "It does seem to me that, again, in this case, my son, who was the victim here, his privacy was not taken into consideration."
They also described the "unfolding horror" of discovering that prosecutors intended to accept Calocane's guilty plea to manslaughter instead of murder. David Webber said, "It's a bit of a state of shock because you've set yourself up for 'this is what we're doing: three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder'. Then all of a sudden it's a complete U-turn."
Legal Outcome and Ongoing Inquiry
Valdo Calocane admitted manslaughter and attempted murder and is detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital. Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility in January 2024. The inquiry into the handling of the case continues, with families seeking answers and accountability for the decisions made by authorities.
