THE mother of one of the Nottingham stabbing victims has said the families felt ignored by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Barnaby Webber’s mum Emma claims the CPS did not take their views into consideration before killer Valdo Calocane’s trial.
Ms Webber told BBC Breakfast: “The CPS used the word consulted. That’s not consultation.
“What we were given was a fait accompli.
“We had a lot of concerns that were in the most part wholly ignored.
“We were led to believe by our police team that ‘it’s murder, we’ve got him, he’s going down’.”
Calocane was given a hospital order for manslaughter by diminished responsibility at Nottingham crown court.
He stabbed to death Barnaby and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65.
A review, announced by Attorney General Victoria Prentis, will look at the CPS’s decision to accept Calocane’s pleas.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said having to continue to campaign for murder charges had made the “grief worse” and “saps energy”.
In June 2023, a knifeman stabbed three innocent people in Nottingham.
Valdo Calocane stabbed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19 and caretaker Ian Coates, 65.
Barnaby Webber was a 19-year-old “passionate cricketer” who had made the selection to his university cricket team along with pal Grace.
On the day of the incident, Barnaby and Grace strolled along the street, turning to talk to each other with animated arms as they made their way home from a night out.
But tragically the teens never made it back to their university hall.
Following the horrific incident, in June 2023, Barnaby’s mum shared memories of her “beautiful boy” at a vigil in Nottingham as she told mourners “hold no hate”.
Barnaby’s heartbroken mum Emma told the sea of people that the “monstrous individual” responsible for the horrifying deaths “will not define us”.
Bravely speaking and fighting back tears, she said: “I know he will receive the retribution that he deserves.
“However, this evil person is just that. He is just a person.
“Please hold no hate that relates to any colour, sex or religion.
“I want you to know [that Barnaby] is more than a victim of a senseless murder.
“He loved pesto pasta, but he hated cottage pie.
“He was obsessed with aeroplanes and he still carried a dream of being a pilot in the RAF one day.”
