The public inquiry revealed that the body of a school caretaker, Ian Coates, who was tragically killed by a paranoid schizophrenic named Valdo Calocane, remained at the crime scene for nearly 15 hours while police conducted their investigation. This incident occurred after the murders of two 19-year-olds, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, on June 13, 2023.
Following the attack on Coates, Calocane stole his van and subsequently injured three pedestrians by running them over. The ongoing public inquiry, taking place at Mary Ward House in Central London, addressed the handling of the crime scene by Nottinghamshire Police. Concerns were raised about the delay in removing Coates’ body, which remained on-site until 8.30pm despite his death being pronounced at 5.52am.
During the inquiry, it was revealed that there was a lapse in informing bereaved families about police misconduct related to the incident. It came to light that inappropriate viewing of images and footage by staff occurred, with a special constable identified as one of the individuals involved. The inquiry also highlighted a missed opportunity by senior officers to promptly disclose this misconduct to the affected families, causing additional distress.
Furthermore, questions arose regarding the handling of sensitive material related to the attacks, with no proactive investigation conducted to identify individuals who accessed such content. The lack of accountability in this regard raised concerns about potential breaches in privacy and the need for tighter controls over information access within the police force. The inquiry continues to delve into these matters as part of its ongoing investigation.
