The brutal June 2023 stabbing spree that claimed three lives in Nottingham revealed deep flaws in mental health risk assessments. Valdo Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and under care for two years, slipped through cracks in the system despite clear warnings about his violent tendencies.
Ignored Warnings Before the Fatal Attacks
Calocane’s violent outbursts and detentions between 2020 and 2021 included forcibly entering a neighbor’s flat, assaulting police officers, and repeatedly kicking at doors. Yet, the Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) repeatedly discharged him, even as a consultant psychiatrist cautioned he was on a path to kill.
On the night of June 13, 2023, Calocane murdered two 19-year-old undergraduate students, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar. Over an hour later, he fatally stabbed 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates, stole his van, and injured three pedestrians by running them over.
Systemic Failures in Risk Assessment
During an ongoing inquiry into NHFT’s mental health services, staff admitted critical errors in Calocane’s risk evaluations. Busayo Ajewole, clinical team leader at Highbury Hospital where Calocane was sectioned in July 2020, conceded that multiple risk assessment forms were “fundamentally wrong.”
One form falsely stated Calocane had “no history of mental health difficulties” and “no history of violence and aggression,” despite clear evidence to the contrary. Ajewole acknowledged this was “not only lacking in detail, it was also wrong” and should have reflected his violent history accurately.
Inadequate Documentation and Overlooked Warning Signs
Risk assessment records from September 2021 onward lacked crucial evidence documenting Calocane’s increasing violence. Julian Blake KC, counsel for the inquiry, emphasized that the severity of Calocane’s threat was never properly identified, branding the forms “wrong” again.
One document described Calocane as “usually a very polite and gentle personable young man,” a characterization Ajewole admitted she could not verify or source.
Missed Opportunities to Prevent Tragedy
Dr Omar Manzar, who conducted multiple mental health assessments of Calocane before the attacks, expressed astonishment that the University of Nottingham—Calocane’s mechanical engineering school—was unaware of his violent history, including assaults on police officers and detentions.
Dr Manzar also revealed he was not shown threatening text messages Calocane sent to his brother in 2020. These messages included violent language such as “break their heads with my hands,” underscoring the missed red flags prior to the murders.
Aftermath and Legal Outcome
Calocane pleaded guilty to manslaughter and attempted murder and was indefinitely detained at a high-security psychiatric hospital in January 2024 due to diminished responsibility.
This inquiry underscores the vital need for accurate, detailed risk assessments within mental health services to prevent such devastating violence in the future.
