Inquiry Examines Care of Nottingham Attacker Before 2023 Killings

Valdo Calocane killed three people and injured three others in knife and vehicle attacks in Nottingham on 13 June 2023. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility due to paranoid schizophrenia and is detained at Ashworth High Secure Hospital under an indefinite hospital order.

A public inquiry ordered by Sir Keir Starmer is scheduled to complete public evidence hearings next week. The inquiry is examining whether multiple failings by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust contributed to the attacks.

Calocane received a call in May 2020 reporting that her son had been arrested after breaking into a neighbour's flat during a psychotic episode. He had no prior record of severe mental illness. Between 2020 and 2022 he was admitted four times to mental health units in Nottingham, including Highbury Hospital and facilities run by the Priory Group and Cygnet Healthcare.

After each admission he was returned to community care. In September 2022 he was discharged to his GP without a risk assessment or follow-up from mental health services, after the community team stated it could not locate him.

Calocane and her son Elias told The Independent they believe the system failed to provide sustained treatment. Elias said the approach was limited to crisis response rather than ongoing prevention. Two independent reports found that care provided to Calocane was not always sufficient to meet his needs.

The Care Quality Commission reported that patients under the trust sometimes struggled to access care when required. The inquiry will assess whether earlier intervention could have altered the outcome of the June 2023 attacks.