Mother of Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane asked for son to be admitted to hospital after outburst
Valdo Calocane’s mother pleaded for her son to be taken to hospital following the violent outburst three years before he killed three people in a mass stabbing in Nottingham, a public inquiry heard.
Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, killed Nottingham University students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and carer Ian Coates, 65, in June 2023 and attempted to kill three more people in Nottingham.
A series of reports by the NHS into the incident so far have highlighted failures in Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust’s management of Calocane, including failures to properly assess the risk posed to him and others. The public inquiry will now examine prosecutors, police and medical experts.
On the first day of hearings on Monday, the inquest heard that Calocane first experienced serious violence on May 24, 2020. But mental health experts decided it was safe for Calocane to be treated in the community rather than admitted.
Investigating lawyer Rachel Langdale told the hearing that Calocane, referred to as “VC” in the hearings, was seen “repeatedly kicking and punching the door” in an attempt to gain entry to a neighbour’s flat.
The individual, who was evaluated by a mental health professional, suffered from a psychotic mental health episode and was “noted to be experiencing mental health issues, hearing voices, appearing blank and not sleeping for five days”.
In the subsequent mental health action assessment, Dr. Gandhi, along with Ben Williams, an approved mental health practitioner, and Anna Palmer, a mental health nurse, agreed to recommend treatment with antipsychotic drugs in the community rather than inpatient treatment.
According to the statement, Dr. Gandhi said he favored Calocane’s arrest “given the initial presentation of psychosis and the lack of information regarding his risk history.” But he said the team of professionals also “consider research evidence that shows young Black men are overrepresented in detention.”
Dr Gandhi said being informed of research, evidence and data, including health inequalities, was part of his role in the assessments, but this would not influence the decision to accept Calocane into the community or treat him.
The investigation will look at how appropriate the mental health law assessment is.
Shortly after his release, Calocane was arrested for trying to break into another neighbor’s apartment, causing the woman to become so frightened that she jumped from a first-floor window, causing serious damage to her spine.
The investigation stated that Palmer met with his mother, Celeste Calocane, after his arrest, and that Calocane stated that “she would prefer her son to go to the hospital for treatment, as he poses a risk to others with his current mental state.”
Ms Langdale added that inquiry chairwoman Deborah Taylor may ask why Calocane was released at this stage and whether it was appropriate for him to be released directly into the community.
The next day, he was recommended for departmental admission during a later mental health law assessment.
The investigation will also look into why services admitted before discharging him that there had been “no incidents of violence” from Calocane despite the events of May 2020, and also that he had “entered a neighbour’s flat to confront those who believed they were trying to spy on him and torment his mind”.
The investigation revealed Ms Langdale’s defense statement further revealed at Christmas 2022: Calocane sent files to her parents at Christmas; It was stated that the investigation included a document explaining that “he always hears voices in his head, but this is not the result of mental health deterioration”, but this was explained by “mind control technology”.
Following the attacks on June 13, Calocane’s phone was analyzed, showing he was researching “mind control technology” and watching videos, including one of the shooting. Ms Langdale said she also viewed documents containing some content relating to the law and police powers.
During his fourth hospital admission in early 2022, he largely kept a low profile and spent most of his time on his 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 last updated 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 is not equally applicable to other students and the wider public.”
Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order in January 2024 after pleading guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and attempted murder, a case widely criticized by the victims’ families.
The investigation continues.
