Student Fatally Stabbed While Protecting Friend in Nottingham

A tragic incident unfolded in Nottingham as a student, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, lost her life while bravely trying to protect her friend, Barnaby Webber, during a devastating stabbing attack. The court heard that O’Malley-Kumar displayed incredible bravery in intervening when Valdo Calocane assaulted them while they were walking home from a night out.

O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, praised her heroism in court, highlighting how she fearlessly put herself in harm’s way to defend her friend. Unfortunately, due to the weapon used by Calocane, she stood no chance against him. He described Calocane as a cold, cowardly, and calculating killer who callously left his daughter lying in the street.

The incident occurred on Ilkeston Road in the early hours of 13 June. The University of Nottingham students were making their way back to their accommodation after a night-out when they were fatally stabbed. Prosecuting lawyer Karim Khalil KC revealed that Webber was repeatedly stabbed with a dagger, resulting in severe injuries that caused him to collapse. O’Malley-Kumar valiantly fought Calocane, pushing him into the road, but tragically, he turned on her and launched an equally brutal assault.

Family members in the courtroom could not contain their grief as Khalil described O’Malley-Kumar’s injuries as too severe, leading to her collapse while Webber tried to defend himself from the ground. Even in her final moments, she fought back, kicking out at her attacker. Calocane callously walked away from the scene.

O’Malley-Kumar’s brother, James, spoke emotionally about losing not just his older sister but also his best friend. He expressed how proud he was of her and vowed to make her proud in return.

Following the initial double killing, Calocane made his way to a residential hostel on Mapperley Road. However, his attempt to gain entry through the ground floor windows was thwarted when a resident confronted him and punched him in the face.

In another horrific turn of events, Ian Coates, a school caretaker driving his van on Magdala Road, was viciously stabbed by Calocane at around 5:14 BST. Calocane then took Coates’ van, leaving him for dead. Members of the public discovered Coates shortly after and he was later pronounced dead.

Calocane’s rampage continued as he drove the stolen van to Milton Street, where he struck Wayne Birkett. Birkett miraculously survived but suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed. Moments later, a police car spotted Calocane and activated their lights, but he sped away, hitting pedestrians Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski, who were fortunately able to survive.

Calocane was apprehended after a five-minute chase and was ultimately Tasered by the police. Upon stopping the van, he produced a knife and was surrounded by law enforcement.

During the hearing, it emerged that three psychiatrists diagnosed Calocane with paranoid schizophrenia. They concluded that he was suffering from serious mental illness, although he understood the nature of his actions during the attacks.

Prosecutors accepted Calocane’s guilty plea of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility after initially being charged with murder. The families of the victims were consulted and agreed to the plea deal. However, Dr Kumar expressed disappointment with the outcome, believing his daughter deserved a murder trial.

Calocane, also known as Adam Mendes, also admitted to attempting to murder three pedestrians whom he struck with Coates’ van. Now, the 32-year-old awaits his sentencing hearing, which is expected to last approximately two days.