NHS trust investigated for corporate manslaughter after Nottingham attacks | NHS

The NHS trust that treated triple murderer Valdo Calocane in the years before the Nottingham attacks is being investigated by police for corporate manslaughter.

Calocane, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after fatally stabbing 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley Kumar and 65-year-old carer Ian Coates on June 13, 2023.

The public inquiry into the events leading up to the 2023 attacks revealed how the Nottinghamshire Health Services NHS Foundation trust subdivided Calocane four times between 2020 and 2022.

Evidence presented at the inquest detailed a series of violent acts committed by Calocane in the years before the Nottingham attacks and his repeated refusals to take medication. During his second admission, the inquest heard how a doctor warned Calocane “could kill someone”.

Despite this, Calocane was discharged from mental health services in September 2022 because he did not attend appointments and healthcare workers “could not find” him.

Northumbria police confirmed they were carrying out the criminal investigation on behalf of the Nottinghamshire force. The NHS trust said it was co-operating with the investigation and it could result in significant fines and leadership changes.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, charges of corporate manslaughter, which is a serious criminal offence, may only apply to certain organisations, including local authorities and public bodies such as NHS trusts, ensuring that these organizations can be “appropriately held accountable for very serious wrongdoings that result in death”.

The public inquiry into the attacks, which is expected to publish its findings next year, heard that a warrant had been issued for Calocane’s arrest after he failed to appear in court for an alleged assault on a police officer during the Nottingham attacks.

Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire police forces apologized for failing to execute arrest warrants during the investigation. That’s why Northumbria police will be carrying out the investigation into the NHS trust, according to the Times.

The Nottingham charity has been under close scrutiny since the 2023 attacks. A 2026 report by the Care Quality Commission said significant improvements were needed.

A charity spokesman said: “Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, launched an investigation into matters relating to the care and treatment of Valdo Calocane.

“We know how important the independent investigation and police investigation is to affected families, survivors and our local communities. We will, of course, co-operate fully with Northumbria police as we would with the statutory investigation.”

A spokesman for the force said: “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragic events in Nottingham in June 2023.

“We remain in contact with victims’ families and survivors and are committed to supporting them throughout this process.”