Killer Valdo Calocane was released over race worries, inquiry told | UK | News

A schizophrenic man who killed three people caused a woman to jump out of her window after he was released by mental health experts who took into account the “over-representation” of young black men in custody, an inquest has heard.

Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, killed University of Nottingham students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar (both 19) and carer Ian Coates (65) in June 2023 and tried to kill three more people in Nottingham.

In her opening statement on Monday, Inquiry Counsel Rachel Langdale KC explained that almost three years ago, in May 2020, Calocane kicked in a woman’s door while in the grips of psychosis, causing the woman to jump out of a first-floor window in terror, suffering a spinal cord injury.

The inquest heard mental health workers and doctors were “inclined” to dismember Calocane, who was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage earlier that day, but “the team of professionals considered research evidence that showed young black men were over-represented in custody”.

Ms Langdale suggested the decision to treat Calocane, referred to as VC throughout the hearings, in the community would be “based entirely on the patient’s current needs, the acuity of symptoms and the risks” rather than his demographic history.

The inquest heard Calocane was released into the community following assessments. Ms Langdale said: “An even more serious incident occurred shortly after the VC returned from custody.

“Mr chairman, you will hear evidence from a former Brook Court resident who heard a knock on his door just after returning from work at around 8pm.

“It was the VC. He asked who he was and he said, ‘It’s me, open it, please’.”

“She repeated the question but the man knocked on the door louder and louder. He started kicking. He was alone in the flat and at this point he describes his fear.

“He was so scared that he jumped out of the first floor window, causing serious damage to his spine.”

Ms Langdale said the inquiry’s chair, Deborah Taylor, may question why Calocane was discharged at this point and whether it was appropriate for him to be released into the community immediately.

He continued: “The investigation will also investigate the appropriateness of decisions and risk assessment made in this Mental Health Act review.”

Ms Langdale said the Royal College of Psychiatrists was unaware of any evidence showing concerns that “the disproportionate use of restrictive measures with black patients is affecting practitioners’ approach”.

He added: “There is no evidence that psychiatrists do not accept patients because they are black.

“The investigation may wish to further consider, through oral evidence, whether race was a factor in restrictive practices that were not used as a result of publicity around mental health reforms during the 2020-2022 period.

“The evidence obtained so far by the investigation does not suggest that.”

The inquest was told Calocane’s mother expressed a preference for her son to receive hospital treatment following the incident “as he poses a risk to others with his current mental state”.

The inquest heard Calocane was described as “appearing confused, distracted and psychotic” during a mental health assessment the next day.

Miss Langdale said: “He explained he broke down a neighbour’s door after hearing a woman screaming. “He denied taking drugs.

“The impression was that VC had first-episode psychosis due to sleep deprivation and stress, which endangered his own safety and that of others. It was concluded that he did not have the capacity to consent to hospital admission. Detention under section two was recommended.”

The inquest heard Calocane forwarded the files to his parents at Christmas 2022, along with a document stating that he “constantly heard voices in his head, but this was not due to deterioration of mental health”, which he instead attributed to “mind control technology”.

A forensic analysis of Calocane’s cell phone following the attacks on June 13 revealed that Calocane was searching for “mind control technology” and viewed footage, including the shooting. Ms Langdale said she also accessed documents containing material on legislation and police powers.

During his fourth hospital admission in early 2022, Calocane kept a relatively low profile, devoting most of his time to his cell phone. Ms Langdale said the investigation would “investigate with treating clinicians whether they asked VC what he was watching on his phone, if not why they didn’t, and whether patients routinely had unrestricted access to their phones”.

The risk assessment was revised for the last time before the attacks on February 28, 2022; It was stated here that “considering the history of violence and aggression, home visits should not be made and if a home visit is necessary, it should be a joint visit and not work alone.”

Ms Langdale added: “We will be asking why this assessment of the risks to the community health team does not apply equally to other students and the wider public.”

Ms Langdale said the verdicts and decisions made in the period following the attacks were “of great significance to the bereaved families and survivors” and said: “Was everything that could have been done in the first instance to prevent the deaths of Barney, Grace and Ian? Given the time it took to capture the VC, could further attacks have been prevented? The inquest will examine what decisions were made in the circumstances encountered.”