What's happened
The Nottingham Inquiry has heard that rapid blood product administration could have improved Barnaby Webber’s survival, but experts say survival would have required multiple timely actions. The inquiry also reveals broader failings in care, police responses, and disclosure gaps ahead of and during the 2023 attacks by Valdo Calocane, who is under a hospital order following diminished-responsibility manslaughter and attempted murder charges. Families press for accountability as evidence emerges of earlier concerns and undisclosed material.
What's behind the headline?
What this shows
- The inquiry exposes procedural gaps in emergency response and medical triage that may affect survivability in mass-casualty events.
- Repeated interactions with police and mental health services are under scrutiny for missed opportunities, yet officials argue foreseeability was limited by the severity of illness and lack of escalation.
- Disclosure failures over documents and explosive-leaning materials raise questions about information sharing across agencies.
What this could mean
- Systems reform to ensure rapid, coordinated responses between police, ambulance, and hospitals could become a political priority.
- Families are likely to demand stronger oversight and clearer accountability pathways to prevent repeat failures.
Reader takeaway
- This is about how institutions protect the public and what changes are now likely to be pursued to reduce harm in future incidents.
How we got here
The 2023 Nottingham attacks left three dead and multiple injured. Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, has been subject to a hospital order after pleading diminished responsibility. Public and legal scrutiny has focused on police handling, mental health care, and information disclosure preceding and following the attacks. The Nottingham Inquiry is examining events, acts and omissions across 2020-2023 to determine what could have changed the outcome.
Our analysis
BBC Business reports on the public inquiry hearings, including statements by counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC and updates on the forensic evaluation of emergency responses; The Guardian provides context from Mind charity chief Sarah Hughes on violence risk and mental health stigma; coverage notes police failings and disclosure lapses in Nottinghamshire Police; all pieces discuss the ongoing inquiry and prior cases tied to Calocane’s care and law enforcement interactions.
Go deeper
- What specific reforms are likely to be proposed to emergency response coordination?
- Will there be changes to disclosure practices between police, health services, and prosecutors?
- How will families' calls for accountability influence policy changes?
More on these topics
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Nottingham - City in England
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, England. Part of the East Midlands region, it is 128 miles north of London and 45 miles northeast of Birmingham. To the west lies Derby, separated by the M1 motorway.
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Valdo Calocane - Mass murderer
In the early morning of 13 June 2023, three people were fatally stabbed and three others were injured when a van was driven into them in three connected attacks in Nottingham in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom. At around 04:00 BST, Valdo Calocane fatally stabbed two university students in the street and subsequently a school caretaker, whose van he then stole. After driving the van into people at a nearby bus stop, Calocane was arrested. He had prior complained of having repeated instances of psychosis. On 16 June 2023, Calocane was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder and on 17 June he was remanded in custody. In November 2023, Calocane denied the three counts of murder, but admitted three counts of manslaughter, on the basis of diminished responsibility, and three further counts of attempted murder. His pleas were accepted by the prosecution. On 25 January 2024, Calocane was sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court to be detained indefinitely at a high-security hospital. One of the victims, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, was posthumously awarded the George Medal for her bravery during the incident.