The full sentencing remarks in R -v- #Calocane are now available online. @JudiciaryUK

IN THE CROWN COURT AT NOTTINGHAM
CASE No: U20231322
REX
v
VALDO CALOCANE
SENTENCING REMARKS
Valdo Colocane I will say at the outset that the sentence I am
about to pass upon you will result in you being detained in a high
security hospital, very probably for the rest of your life.
I will now tell you why.
In the early hours of 13th June last year, you committed a series
of atrocities in this city which ended the lives of three innocent
people. You went on to attack three more; fully intending, but
failing, to kill them too. Your sickening crimes both shocked the
nation and wrecked the lives of your surviving victims and the
families of them all.
2
Over the last two days in this court, the harrowing details of what
you did have been fully recounted and explored by the advocates
and expert witnesses.
At four o’clock in the morning of 13th June last year, Barnaby
Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both just 19 years of age,
were walking back to their student accommodation after a night
out in the city centre. They were almost home when you attacked
them. What followed was truly shocking. You first pulled out a
dagger from the bag you were carrying and set about Barnaby in
a frenzied and relentless stabbing attack. With astonishing
bravery, Grace tried to save him by pushing you away. She
sacrificed her life in the attempt as you then dealt with her in the
same brutal fashion before turning back to Barnaby to resume
your attack on him. The injuries which you inflicted upon them
both were unsurvivable.
An hour later, you were trying, unsuccessfully but with
determined persistence, to gain access to a hostel for the
homeless. You were intending to attack those inside but an
occupant managed to fend you off.
Shortly after, you attacked Ian Coates, a school caretaker, who
was in his van on his way to work. You stabbed him to death with
the same merciless ferocity with which you had earlier attacked
Barnaby and Grace. You left the scene driving his van; on the look
out for yet further victims.
Your next was Wayne Birkett who was crossing the road in the
city centre. You deliberately swerved to hit him at speed from
3
behind and intending to kill him. He survived the attempt but
suffered life changing injuries in the collision. He sustained
serious brain damage as a result of which he lost the ability to
carry out even the most straightforward of tasks. He still struggles
to look after himself. His personality has changed and not for the
better. He has lost interest in many of the things which had made
his life worth living such as socialising and football. His physical
injuries were also very serious and included a dislocated right
shoulder; injuries to his chest and back and a fractured pelvis. He
is in constant pain. He is unlikely ever to be able to work again.
There are times when he feels it would have been better for
everyone if he, too, had died that morning.
Your final two victims were Sharon Millar and Marcion
Gawronski who were both standing on a pedestrian central
reservation. Again, you deliberately aimed the van at them and
struck them at speed from behind intending to kill them. They
were extremely lucky to survive. Mr Gawronski sustained broken
ribs, an injury to his left leg and cuts all over his head and body.
He continues to suffer flashbacks. Ms Miller sustained injuries to
her body and legs which left her in severe pain and housebound
for several months. She remains afraid to go out and may never
be able to return to work.
You were eventually stopped and contained by police vehicles.
When confronted by officers, you produced a knife which you
dropped only after you had been tasered. You later made no
comment to all questions asked of you in interview.
4
The court has both heard and read heartbreaking statements from
those of your victims who survived and the families and friends
of those who died. You have sentenced them to a life of grief and
pain.
This is a roll call of just some of those whose lives you have
devastated:
Emma Webber, Barnaby’s mother;
David Webber, Barnaby’s father;
Charlie Webber, Barnaby’s brother;
Thomas Yap, Barnaby’s close friend;
Emily Yap, another of Barnaby’s close friends;
James O’Malley-Kumar, Grace’s brother;
Sinead O’Malley-Kumar, Grace’s mother;
Dr Sanjoy Kumar, Grace’s father;
Catherine O’Malley, Grace’s aunt and all of Grace’s maternal
relatives in Ireland;
Dr Shashi Kumar, Grace’s grandmother;
Sunil Kumar, Grace’s uncle;
Emma Kumar, Grace’s aunt;
Helen Prescott-Morrin, Grace’s school housemistress together
with many other family friends;
James Coates, Ian’s son;
Susan Coates, Ian’s sister;
Elaine Newton, Ian’s partner;
5
Wayne Birkett, your fourth victim;
Tracey Hodgson, Wayne’s partner;
Sharon Miller; and
Marcin Gawronski, your final victims.
I pay tribute to the extraordinary dignity and restraint which they
have all shown both in this court and indeed over the last six
months. The statements which were so bravely read out in court
will resonate with those who heard them for many years to come.
We learnt that Barnaby was a loving son, brother and friend with
an infectiously joyful personality and positive outlook on life. He
was making the most of the time he was spending at Nottingham
University and showing such great promise for the life of which
you robbed him.
Grace was a treasure to her family and friends. She was as
successful academically as she was in her sporting achievements.
Studying medicine, she had already been involved in vaccinating
against the covid virus and I do not doubt that she would have
been an exemplary practitioner. She was a shining example to all
who knew and loved her.
Ian was only five months short of what should have been a long
and happy retirement. His son, sister and partner have been
robbed of a kind and humble man who always found time to help
others.
6
There was never any doubt that it was you who had committed
these appalling crimes and it was inevitable that you would be
facing three counts of murder and three of attempted murder. It
soon became clear, however, that the central issue in this case
would relate to whether, at the time of committing these offences,
you were suffering from severe symptoms of mental disorder and,
if so, what part they played in what you did.
You are clearly an intelligent man having taken a degree in
Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham University. However, in
2019 you started to show symptoms of mental disorder as a result
of which you were admitted to inpatient hospital treatment the
following year. There followed a period of three years over which
you were hearing voices which you believed were threatening and
controlling you. You became convinced that you were being spied
on by your flatmates and by the intelligence services. At one
point, you even presented yourself to M15 headquarters in the
hope that they might stop the voices. You were prescribed antipsychotic medication but you stopped taking it because you
continued to believe that you were not unwell and the voices were
real. Your behaviour deteriorated to the extent that you began
attempting to gain access to other flats in the block where you
lived causing criminal damage and, in September 2021, you
assaulted a police officer who was attempting to gain access to
your property so that a mental health assessment could be carried
out. By the time you committed these offences, a warrant had
been outstanding for your arrest for many months. By August
7
2022, you had disappeared from your address and had disengaged
from the community mental health team. Your condition,
however, did not improve. By May of last year you had started
working at a warehouse but five days later you physically
attacked two fellow employees and lost your job.
This court has seen detailed reports from no fewer than five
distinguished consultant psychiatrists. Three of those, Professor
Blackwood, Dr McSweeney and Dr Mirvis, gave evidence to this
court yesterday and were questioned on behalf of both the
prosecution and defence about their conclusions. I must, of
course, factor their opinions into the process of sentencing
although I am not bound by them.

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