The families of the victims of the Nottingham attacks have criticised police failures, saying officers had “blood on their hands” after a report highlighted multiple mistakes in handling an earlier incident involving the attacker.
A report by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), seen by The Sun, found that Leicestershire police failed to properly investigate an attack by Valdo Calocane on two warehouse workers in May 2023, weeks before he killed Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, in Nottingham.
On 5 May 2023, officers were called to a warehouse in Kegworth after reports that Calocane had punched a colleague, pushed another, and reached for a knife.
The report found 11 failings, including delays in response time, failure to arrest or interview Calocane, not retrieving CCTV footage, and not entering his name into the national police database. '
A check would have revealed an outstanding arrest warrant and six previous incidents, including stalking and attacking a housemate.
Nottinghamshire police and healthcare authorities are also under investigation. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced a judge-led public inquiry into the attacks.
The victims’ families told The Sun: “The damning failures exposed by this investigation are just another example of how our loved ones were badly failed by the authorities.”
They said Leicestershire police had “blood on their hands just as much” as Nottinghamshire police.
The IOPC did not recommend gross misconduct charges but said three officers would face a misconduct hearing. Two officers cited heavy workloads, while a junior officer admitted she had “no idea” how to handle the case.
Leicestershire police’s deputy chief constable David Sandall said the force had reviewed the IOPC’s findings and that a misconduct meeting would take place.
Calocane is serving an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility and attempted murder.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event