Nottingham killer sought arrest at MI5 HQ before 2023 attack, inquiry told | UK news
A man who killed three people during a stabbing attack in Nottingham in 2023 tried to surrender to MI5 for arrest two years ago, an inquest heard.
Valdo Calocane, 34, fatally stabbed Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, during a stabbing spree in the city on June 13, 2023.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and was sentenced to indefinite detention in a high-security hospital.
The inquest in London heard on Tuesday that Calocane tried to surrender to MI5 at its headquarters at Thames House in central London in May 2021.
PC Graham Foster, who confronted Calocane outside after stealing the building’s intercom, told the inquest that Calocane informed a security guard that he wanted to be arrested and speak to police.
When asked why he didn’t question Calocane about why he wanted to be arrested, Foster said he was aiming to “establish a rapport” with the investigation, which he thought was the best way to see “if he offered any other information.” He described Calocane as “calm, harmonious and consistent.”
Supt Lorraine Busby-McVey, of the Metropolitan Police, told the inquest that Calocane was “reviewed” by the Fixed Threat Assessment Center (FATC), a unit that examines threats from fixed actors, but that he did not meet the thresholds for further assessment.
Busby-McVey said an intelligence report from FTAC about Calocane’s visit to Thames House was passed to Nottinghamshire police the next day, June 1, but the police did not make its own assessment at the time. Busby-McVey said it’s something she would “love” to see happen.
He also said the report, although sent to police, was not available to all officers. He said a new system had since been introduced to improve the quality of information shared between police forces.
The inquest also heard that Calocane’s former flatmate, named only as Sebastian, had also been wiretapped and that reports he had given to Nottinghamshire police that Calocane had approached him at their flat were ignored.
“He grabbed my shirt and arm, pushed me against the wall and said some confusing words,” he said. “He then said someone would contact me and if they contacted me I should tell them the VC would find them.”
Sebastian then contacted Nottinghamshire police. An officer told him they would file a report that would be reported to an agency, but they did not specify which one.
In addition to being caught by Calocane, Sebastian told the inquest he suspected Calocane of following him and trying to get into his bedroom at night.
Sebastian stated that he started locking his door after the incident and said, “I know that he is aggressive and could hurt me again in a moment.” Calocane also reported that Calocane tried to enter the room of the police officer he had met before, but did not receive a response, and found this “very surprising” and “weird”.
When he heard about the Nottingham attacks, he said he suspected Calocane might be the perpetrator before his identity was confirmed.
The investigation continues.
