Mother of attacks victim urges police footage probe

The mother of Nottingham attacks victim Barnaby Webber has formally complained to Nottinghamshire Police after an inquiry heard bodyworn camera footage was unnecessarily accessed by staff.

Hearings into the killings of the student, his friend Grace O'Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates were told there had never been a wider investigation into which police staff looked at images and footage from the attacks without a policing purpose.

Emma Webber said there should be a full investigation and for the breach to be "considered as a criminal matter".

"It is only in the past few days of the statutory inquiry that the full seriousness of this misconduct has been revealed," she said.

"I have now made a formal complaint and asked for this to be considered as a criminal matter. The level of distress this has caused is unimaginable.

"I do not believe the misconduct investigations carried out so far have been properly or adequately handled.

"I am calling for all these matters to be fully reopened and properly investigated, with full transparency and with our involvement."

The public inquiry, being held in London, is scrutinising events leading up to the fatal stabbings, the van attacks on three other people and the response from agencies.

Valdo Calocane, who carried out the attacks, is serving an indefinite hospital order.

Earlier, the inquiry heard that in September 2023, Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin became aware that special constable Ilsadin Skenderaj - who has since resigned from the force - had viewed images related to the attacks with no policing purpose.

Webber has now written to Acting Chief Constable Steve Cooper, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden, policing minister Sarah Jones and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to raise her concerns.

She wants a wider investigation into the force after the inquiry has concluded, to find out which members of staff viewed material from the attacks on police systems.

The inquiry also heard that police waited months before telling bereaved families that there were misconduct proceedings against staff who had inappropriately viewed images and footage.

The inquiry will continue hearing evidence at Mary Ward House over a total of nine weeks.

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