PH
Valdo Calocane, a Nottingham ‘knife rampage killer,’ has denied murdering three people during a stabbing spree in the UK.
The 32-year-old admitted manslaughter in the stabbing deaths of students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19, as they walked home from a night out in Nottingham in the early hours of June 13.
At Nottingham Crown Court this morning, he also acknowledged manslaughter of school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, and stealing his van, as well as the attempted murder of three pedestrians, whom he ran down with the van.
However, Calocane, now known as Adam Mendes, denied murdering Miss O’Malley-Kumar, Mr Webber, and Mr Coates on the grounds of diminished culpability.
Peter Joyce KC, defending, said Calocane, who was flanked by eight people in the dock, suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He told the judge: ‘You know what the issues are and the world should know this: The defendant does not dispute the physical acts of any of the prosecution’s case. Though he committed these dreadful acts, he did this while he was suffering from extreme mental illness.’
After pleading guilty to three charges of manslaughter, he pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder in relation to pedestrians Sharon Miller, Marcin Gawronski, and Wayne Birkett, who were injured after being hit by the van.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar, a medical student, and Mr Webber, a history student, were found fatally stabbed in Ilkeston Road at 4 a.m. on June 13.
Mr Coates, 65, was allegedly stabbed to death in Magdala Road after his van was stolen.
Calocane is accused of driving the vehicle at a pedestrian on Milton Street and two more on South Sherwood Street.
The incident, which allegedly occurred outside the Theatre Royal, was reported to police around 5.30 a.m.
The defendant, of no fixed address, was later arrested on suspicion of murder outside a shop in Bentinck Road, Forest Fields.
According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the driver of a marked police car had ‘less than a minute’ before colliding with pedestrians on South Sherwood Street.
Mr Webber’s family expressed their “complete devastation” at the “senseless murder of our son,” describing him as a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to.”
Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s relatives remembered her as a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady” who will be “sorely missed.”
Two of Mr Coates’ sons said his death had ‘rocked everyone’s world’, adding: ‘Nobody deserves this but he definitely didn’t.’
Police revealed the suspect is a former University of Nottingham student, but said ‘this is not believed to be connected with the attack’.
The case against Calocane has been adjourned until January 16, 2024.
