Staff from the university were grilled on the third day of the Nottingham attacks investigation about possible signs that were not acted upon before Valdo Calocane attacked and killed three individuals while wounding three others on June 13, 2023. The victims were 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, along with grandfather Ian Coates, who were all stabbed to death by Calocane. The attacker subsequently used Mr Coates’ van to strike Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller with the vehicle. Eleanor Turner, who leads the mental health advisory service at the University of Nottingham, stated she had no knowledge of a 2020 medical note indicating Calocane “could perhaps kill someone.” Claire Thompson, director of student wellbeing, stood by the university’s approach to Calocane, stating: “I find it offensive in all honesty. It’s difficult decisions under difficult circumstances with incomplete information.” The hearing was informed the university only became aware of Calocane’s attack on a police officer, which occurred in September 2021, in January 2022, several months after he had returned to student housing at Raleigh Park. Nottinghamshire Police expressed regret for “unacceptable failures” in their handling of Calocane but maintained they could not have stopped the attacks. Emotional tribute videos honoring the victims were shown, with family members becoming visibly upset as they viewed them. READ THE FULL STORY: Nottingham attacks inquiry: Valdo Calocane’s university questioned over ‘missed opportunities
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