Nottingham attacks: Student’s death was ‘potentially preventable’, inquiry told

The death of a student killed during the Nottingham attacks was “potentially preventable,” a public inquiry has heard. Barnaby Webber, along with Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, was stabbed to death by Valdo Calocane on 13 June 2023.

Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, is currently serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security facility after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.

On Tuesday, ahead of closing statements, the inquiry was informed that a “more rapid administration of blood products” could have increased Mr. Webber’s chances of arriving at the hospital with a sufficient heartbeat to undergo surgery.

A panel of medical professionals assessed the emergency response and characterised Mr. Webber’s injuries as having a less than 50% chance of survival, labeling his death “potentially preventable.” In contrast, the deaths of Ms. O’Malley-Kumar and Mr. Coates were deemed “not preventable.” The panel acknowledged the hard work of emergency responders but noted that even with earlier blood transfusions, multiple other rapid steps would have been required for Mr. Webber to survive.

The families of the victims sobbed as counsel to the inquiry, Rachel Langdale KC, read out the assessments. Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, Grace’s father, left the hearing room during the proceedings.

In her closing remarks, Langdale reiterated the evidence of former parliamentary ombudsman Sir Rob Behrens. She stated, “Barney, Grace and Ian should be alive. And the survivors – uninjured.” She praised the bereaved families for their campaigning, noting that without their efforts, there would not have been a public inquiry.

Langdale added that the evidence revealed “one failure after another” and argued against the need for further oral evidence. The inquiry, which began in February, has heard from over 100 witnesses, including police staff, mental healthcare practitioners, and family members.

Retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC described it as “disappointing” that some evidence emerged during the break that “ought to have been identified” earlier. She directed core participants to provide any corrections to errors or omissions by no later than 31 December.