Summary

  • A public inquiry in London is continuing to hear evidence related to the killings of Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates by Valdo Calocane in Nottingham on 13 June 2023

  • Former flatmates of Calocane, including one who was put in a headlock by him in 2022, have been giving evidence

  • This flatmate, called Christopher, described how Calocane's behaviour began to deteriorate in late 2021

  • He says Calocane "came flying across the room" during a row about cleaning

  • Christopher described the police response to the attack as "dismissive"

  • Evidence of another flatmate, Sam, who witnessed the assault on Christopher, has been read to inquiry

  • More than 100 witnesses, including police officers and mental health workers are giving evidence over the next eight weeks

  1. Our live coverage has endedpublished at 17:38 GMT

    Our updates for the day have ended.

    You can continue to read more about the Nottingham Inquiry and today's proceedings here.

  2. Recap: What have we heard this afternoon?published at 17:25 GMT

    During the final day of the second week of evidence in London, the inquiry heard from a number of students who lived or studied alongside Calocane.

    Known only as Christopher, one former flatmate told the hearing he was put in a headlock by Calocane after a dispute over bathroom hygiene.

    He said Calocane came "flying across the room", threw a punch, and grappled with him for more than a minute.

    The inquiry then heard from Sam, another ex-flatmate, who was asked to record the attack.

    He said the students "didn't know if he would carry on the attack" before Calocane released Christopher.

    The students were then moved to temporary accommodation while the authorities "tried to get him [Calocane] help".

    Finally, the inquiry heard from Joel, a fellow student who was put on a group project with Calocane.

    He said Calocane worked in an "isolated" way and was slow with work, but always "pulled through" in the end.

  3. Calocane 'isolated' in group university projectpublished at 17:17 GMT

    The final witness to give evidence at the inquiry today was Joel, who was put with Calocane for a group project while completing a masters degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Nottingham.

    Calocane was added to an existing group of four people in a project to produce an aerial platform powered by drones, the inquiry heard.

    Joel said Calocane attended the group's weekly meetings with their supervisor, but worked in an "isolated" way.

    He added that although Calolcane was often late with a number of pieces of work, he would always "pull through" in the end.

  4. What happened on the day of the Nottingham attacks?published at 17:07 GMT

    Calocane committed a series of brutal attacks on the morning of 13 June 2023, killing three and seriously injuring three more.

    Police were first called after Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar were stabbed to death in Ilkeston Road at 04:04 BST, while walking home from a night out in Nottingham.

    An hour later, Calocane tried to gain access to a residential hostel in Mapperley Road, but was forced to retreat after being punched in the face.

    At 05:14, Ian Coates was stabbed while in his van in Magdala Road. He was pulled from the vehicle and Calocane drove it away.

    Nine minutes later, the triple killer drove into Milton Street and hit pedestrian Wayne Birkett, who suffered serious injuries.

    Calocane then knocked down Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski as they crossed Market Street six minutes later.

    At 05:34, Calocane was arrested after officers managed to stop the Vauxhall Vivaro van in Bentinck Road.

    Two police officers on a streetImage source, Nottinghamshire Police
  5. What is the scope of the Nottingham Inquiry?published at 16:54 GMT

    It might be a good time to remember the what the Nottingham Inquiry aims to do.

    As set out to chairwoman, senior retired judge Deborah Taylor KC, last week, the inquiry will examine what happened, the events and actions that led to them, and Calocane's care and monitoring.

    It will look at a broad range of areas in connection with the attacks, including:

    • The management of Calocane's risk to others in the lead-up to the attacks
    • A detailed examination of events on the day of the attacks - including the response of the emergency services
    • A timeline of incidents of unauthorised accessing of information by public servants

    The statutory inquiry will undertake a "thorough, independent assessment" of the events that culminated in the attacks and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents.

  6. 'There was something off in his character'published at 16:42 GMT

    Thomas has told the inquiry he was out on the night Calocane put their flatmate into a headlock and was confused when he saw footage of the attack.

    "It did seem kind of out the blue," he added.

    "I don't think I knew about the seriousness of what was going."

    However, he said he had noticed a change in Calocane's behaviour in the lead up to the assault.

    "There was something off in his character in a way which felt a bit unusual," Christopher added.

    "It didn't sit right with me.

    "I could see how his behaviour was different from what I had seen from him previously.

    "It felt like a state of paranoia."

  7. Ex-flatmates noticed 'increased sense of paranoia' in Calocanepublished at 16:30 GMT

    The next witness to give evidence this afternoon is Thomas, another former flatmate of Calocane's.

    He said when he first met Calocane in student accommodation in October 2021, he found him "approachable" and that "you could get a conversation out of him".

    However, by the December, he said the group had started to notice some "unusual activities" from him, including an increased sense of paranoia.

    Thomas said, at one point, Calocane believed someone had gone into his room to pin up contact numbers on a board - when, in fact, they were in every room from the start of the tenancy.

  8. Former flatmate was 'shocked' after the Nottingham attackspublished at 16:23 GMT

    Sam's evidence is continuing to be read out to inquiry.

    In his statement, he said that when he first heard about the Nottingham attacks, he thought Calocane might have been responsible.

    The inquiry heard someone posted in a group chat asking if a grainy image of the offender could have been "that guy we lived with".

    Sam said the police visited him twice the next day and he gave a statement about their former living arrangements.

    "I felt shocked when I found out about the attacks - it didn't feel real at first," he said.

    "It's not something you expect to be close to. I was annoyed at the whole situation

    "I've now watched the documentaries - we weren't aware of his medical history.

    "The whole picture looks a lot different from what we knew at that time."

  9. Attacked flatmate was 'in the headlock for more than a minute'published at 16:01 GMT

    The inquiry has heard that Sam saw Calocane attack Christopher and was asked to film it.

    In his evidence, which is being read to the inquiry, he said he had tried to get Calocane away from Christopher after he threw a punch at him and got him in a headlock.

    Sam was asked to start filming, the inquiry heard, and it was at this point that Calocane let go.

    "It was tense," he said.

    "We didn't know if he would carry on the attack.

    "He was in the headlock for more than a minute."

  10. Calocane's 'personality changed' after confrontation, says flatmatepublished at 15:51 GMT

    The evidence of another flatmate, Sam, is now being read to the inquiry.

    He described Calocane as "quiet" and said he often assumed "he was doing his own thing".

    In his evidence, Sam said: "If he was in the kitchen cooking, he would sit there and eat his food with us, but outside of that, he wouldn't spend time with us."

    He added: "VC only changed in personality when Chris confronted him about the state of shower and was left in and it escalated quickly after that."

  11. Flatmates put 'at a lot of risk'published at 15:43 GMT

    Concluding his evidence, Christopher said he thought he and his flatmates were put "at a lot of risk" after information about Calocane's mental health was not shared with them.

    "If someone had been sectioned a month prior, we should have been able to make an educated decision on where we live," he said.

    "I got lucky and I'm fine."

    Christopher also said he was told Calocane had tried to enter his flat shortly after the assault.

    The inquiry heard that Calocane was hiding his face and wearing a dark coat at the time.

    Christopher said he thought the act was "ominous" because he "didn't know if he was going to be more violent".

  12. Flatmates collected belongings 'one by one'published at 15:28 GMT

    After raising concerns about Calocane - referred to throughout the inquiry as VC - with the University of Nottingham, Christopher said he and other students were assisted in leaving the accommodation.

    Christoper told the inquiry the students were told to go into the property "one by one" to collect their things while Calocane slept in his bedroom.

    He questioned why the students were collecting their belongings if "we're in danger and this is a risk".

    Christopher said: "Why can't someone else go in and get our things, or why can't VC be removed and we go get out things?"

    He said it was the "only event" he felt was not handled correctly by the university.

  13. Flatmate told not to return 'under any circumstances'published at 15:17 GMT

    Continuing his evidence, Christopher recalls being called by the university's residential experience team as he was heading back to the flat two days after the attack.

    He said he was told not to go back "under any circumstances" as the police were there and were "getting him [Valdo] the help he needs".

    Christopher said he presumed that had been a reference to psychiatric help.

    However, he was allowed to return to the flat to gather some of his belongings, the inquiry heard, before being taken to a temporary flat.

  14. 'Very unsettling, very unusual'published at 15:05 GMT

    Christopher has been continuing to reflect on the attack by Calocane and the period afterwards.

    "There was just something very wrong about the situation," he told the inquiry.

    Calocane's former flatmate said it was not necessarily what happened between them but Calocane's reaction that had bothered him the most.

    "I found it very unsettling, very unusual," he said.

    "That was perhaps what distressed me the most - is that I felt I could not relate and I couldn't see what he was thinking."

  15. Police's headlock report was wrong, says flatmatepublished at 15:00 GMT

    The inquiry has been showed excerpts of a police report into Calocane's attack on Christopher.

    The officer said that Christopher did not wish to engage with the police and would not show him the video of the headlock.

    Christopher told the inquiry the report was "false".

    "I know for a fact that I was showing him the first video [of the headlock]," he said.

    He went on to say his primary focus was getting Calocane out of the flat.

    "I just wanted him out of the property," he said. "I just didn't want to have to deal with him personally.

    "I didn't really care what happens to him, I just didn't want to have to deal with him."

  16. Calocane became 'more openly hostile', says flatmatepublished at 14:56 GMT

    Christopher said after he was assaulted by Calocane, he became "much more hostile".

    He told the inquiry: "If we were talking loudly or - he would just come and yell like 'shut the [expletive] up'. He was more openly hostile."

    He said there were also a number of instances prior to 15 January - the date of the headlock confrontation - when Calocane went into people's rooms in the night.

    On one occasion, Christopher said, Calocane entered his room one morning asking if he had heard screaming.

    While Christopher said he did not see signs of mental illness in Calocane previously, "perhaps in hindsight" there had been signs.

  17. Flatmate thought pressing charges would be a "waste of time"published at 14:53 GMT

    The day following the attack, Christopher went to a police station to finish his report and send over the video of the assault.

    He was asked if he wanted to pursue a conviction but said he thought it was a "waste of time".

    He also said that he told police that he thought there was "something not quite right" about Valdo.

    "He's strange," he said.

    Christopher told the inquiry that, after officers checked Calocane on their system, they told him there was "something to" what he had said.

  18. Police were 'dismissive', says attacked flatmatepublished at 14:46 GMT

    Christopher said after speaking to police officers about what happened and showing them the video, he was told by an officer: "You don’t have enough for ABH because you don’t have any real injuries, this is going to be common assault".

    He told the inquiry: "I felt like it was dismissive in a way, trying to basically tell me that nothing was going to happen."

    Christopher said he was then told by officers the matter could be dealt with by way of restorative justice.

    Before police arrived, Christopher said Calocane had been looking at him "very intensely".

  19. Footage of headlock incident shown to courtpublished at 14:38 GMT

    In a short video clip shown to the inquiry, Calocane can be seen with his arm around the neck of his flatmate, holding him in a headlock.

    Christopher can be heard asking for someone to "ring the police".

    Other flatmates can be heard saying "Valdo, stop it now".

    The inquiry then heard Christopher's initial call to the police where he tells them about the attack. The operator tells him that police would come out to him straight away.

    A second video has also been played to the court which shows Calocane stopping Christopher from leaving his flat.

    He can be heard saying "I just want to go" and "he ain't gonna let me leave for some reason".

    Christopher then made a second call to the police.

  20. 'He came flying across the room'published at 14:35 GMT

    On 15 January 2022, Christopher confronted Calocane about the state of the bathroom and asked him to clean it up.

    He told the inquiry Calocane "brushed it off" and went back into his room. He joined Christopher in the kitchen "a few hours later" and Christopher asked Calocane if he had cleaned up yet.

    "He said 'no I'm not going to, what are you going to do about it?'," Christopher told the hearing.

    "That upset me and I thought it was rude so I said 'I will call you a dirty [expletive]."

    Shortly after, Christopher said a fight broke out.

    "He came flying across the room, threw a punch, I dodged the punch and then we were wrestling," he said.

    "He ended up getting me in a headlock and then I was asking him 'please let go of me, let of me'."

    Calocane eventually let go and Christopher called the police.

    Valdo CalocaneImage source, Nottinghamshire Police