Former Nottinghamshire Police Chief Acknowledges Missed Arrest Opportunity
The former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police has acknowledged that Valdo Calocane, who committed a triple killing, should have been arrested prior to his fatal attacks.
On 13 June 2023, Calocane stabbed to death Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates, and attempted to kill three additional individuals during a series of attacks in Nottingham.
A warrant for Calocane's arrest was issued in September 2022 after he failed to appear in court regarding an assault on a police officer in 2021. However, this warrant was never executed and remained outstanding at the time of the attacks.
Kate Meynell, who retired from Nottinghamshire Police three days prior to the inquiry hearing, stated on Friday that she accepts there are "no excuses" for Calocane not being arrested.
Inquiry into Police Handling of Warrant Underway
The inquiry, overseen by retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC, began hearing evidence on 23 February and is scheduled to continue for nine weeks at Mary Ward House in London.
Calocane, referred to in the inquiry as VC, was expected to appear in court in September 2022 in connection with the assault of PC Barnaby Pritchard in 2021. The assault occurred while PC Pritchard was assisting in detaining Calocane under the Mental Health Act.
Evidence presented at the inquiry revealed that Nottinghamshire Police never executed the arrest warrant issued for Calocane.
On 5 May 2023, weeks before the killings, Calocane assaulted two warehouse workers, a husband and wife, in Kegworth, Leicestershire. Leicestershire Police responded to this incident and, despite reviewing a log indicating the outstanding warrant, did not pursue the arrest.
Meynell stated at the inquiry:
"I accept on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police that VC should have been arrested in relation to that."
Rachel Langdale KC, counsel to the inquiry, questioned:
"At this point there can be no excuses institutionally for that, can there, that this was identified and he could have been picked up?"
Meynell responded:
"That's correct."
The inquiry also heard that the warrant was issued on a police computer system but was sent to an inbox that was not regularly monitored.
Despite this, Meynell expressed disagreement with the suggestion that executing the warrant would have altered the subsequent events months later.
Tim Moloney KC, representing the bereaved families, challenged this position. Under questioning, Meynell agreed that if Calocane had appeared in court, the court would have examined his history of previous incidents and hospital admissions, and that bail conditions would likely have been imposed.
Moloney KC asked:
"So to be clear are you, as the former chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, saying to the chair that it would have made no difference?"
Meynell replied:
"I couldn't be sure what difference it would have made."
Moloney KC responded:
"Precisely."
Meynell added that since the killings, Nottinghamshire Police have "completely changed" their management of warrants, which are now reviewed daily.
Retirement and Ongoing Inquiry Participation
Meynell announced her retirement from the force in October 2023 after a cancer diagnosis, with her departure planned for the following month. She has stated her intention to continue participating in the inquiry and provide evidence if requested.
Sentencing and Family Reactions
In January 2024, Calocane was sentenced to a hospital order after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and three counts of attempted murder.
The families of the victims expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome and aspects of the police investigation outside Nottingham Crown Court following sentencing.
Meynell commented:
"I was not aware of the strength of feeling of the families and the concerns they had until I heard what they said on the court steps."
Concerns Regarding Family Notification
The inquiry also addressed concerns raised by the bereaved families about the timing of their notification regarding the deaths of Barnaby, Grace, and Ian.
Meynell stated:
"It's my understanding from what I've read that we notified them as soon as we possibly could."
During this statement, family members present in the hearing room shook their heads in disagreement.
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