Nottingham Attack Victim's Mother Expresses Validation as Police Officer Confirms Murder Belief
Emma Webber, the mother of Nottingham attack victim Barnaby Webber, has described feeling "validated" after learning that police officers themselves believed the killings constituted murder rather than a lesser charge. This revelation emerged during the ongoing public inquiry into the tragic events of June 2023.
Senior Officer's Testimony Reveals Internal Police View
Detective Superintendent Leigh Sanders, who has since retired, testified at the inquiry that he believed Valdo Calocane acted "in cold blood" during the attacks. Sanders confirmed he used the word "murder" in official documents following the rampage that claimed three lives.
"For me there were elements of planning in relation to the killings. My view at that time was he didn't seem to be under duress," Sanders told the inquiry. "He appeared to be making rational choices. My impression was that he was acting of his own free will... My view at that time was that I believed he had murdered in cold blood three people."
Prosecution Accepted Manslaughter Plea Despite Police Belief
Valdo Calocane admitted manslaughter and attempted murder but claimed he wasn't guilty of murder due to diminished responsibility - a plea that prosecutors ultimately accepted. However, Emma Webber revealed that the senior investigating officer ended up "in a corner" during Wednesday's inquiry session and admitted police had felt it was murder.
"That there was planning, that there was insight, there was culpability," Webber recounted the officer's testimony. She told Sky News that the case went "down a very different path as soon as the expert doctors, psychiatrists, got involved - and the CPS."
Families Continue to Uncover Shocking Details
Emma Webber expressed ongoing shock at the evidence being revealed during the inquiry, now in its fourth week. "Every single day, without exception, there's been more information revealed even to us that we've been shocked and horrified at," she said.
"Sometimes not just the evidence, but also the manner of the witnesses. And I would say the arrogance and just refusal to admit clear failings."
Missed Opportunities and Investigation Failures
The inquiry has already heard how police failed to execute a warrant to arrest Calocane, issued more than nine months before the killings, after he missed a court hearing. Additionally, Calocane assaulted two colleagues at a factory in Leicestershire just one month before the attacks but wasn't arrested by Leicestershire Police at that time.
Detective Superintendent Sanders also apologized to families for not taking a hair sample to test Calocane for possible drug use when he was arrested. While lawyers suggested this was due to lack of consent from the killer, Sanders acknowledged he "perhaps" should have taken one because it could have provided rebuttal to Calocane's eventual plea of diminished responsibility.
Ongoing Inquiry and Future Report
The public inquiry is scheduled to continue until June, with a comprehensive report due next year. The investigation is examining multiple failings in the case, including why Calocane remained free despite being a schizophrenic with a history of violence who was subject to an outstanding arrest warrant.
Calocane murdered Barnaby Webber, his classmate Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and caretaker Ian Coates in the early hours of 13 June 2023. He also attempted to kill three others and has been indefinitely detained at a psychiatric unit.
