Former Nottingham student to appear in court after deadly knife and van attacks

Police forensics officers on Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, as a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after three people were killed in Nottingham city centre early on Tuesday morning. Picture date: Tuesday June 13, 2023.

A former university student is set to appear in court to face murder and attempted murder charges following knife and van attacks in Nottingham.

Valdo Calocane is accused of killing University of Nottingham students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The 31-year-old is also alleged to have attempted to murder three pedestrians after Mr Coates’ van was used to drive at people in Milton Street and South Sherwood Street.

Barnaby Webber and Grace Kumar were killed in a Nottingham street on Tuesday (Family handout/Lucy Sheffield/Southgate Hockey Club/PA)

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said two patients are now stable and one has been discharged following the van incidents.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the driver of a marked police car had sight of the vehicle for “less than a minute” before it collided with the pedestrians in South Sherwood Street.

Medical student Ms O’Malley-Kumar and history student Mr Webber, both 19, were found fatally knifed on Ilkeston Road at around 4am.

Mr Coates, 65, was then found dead in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.

The family of Mr Webber described their “complete devastation” at the “senseless murder of our son”, saying he was a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to”.

Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s family described her as a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady” and that she would be “so dearly 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 defendant, of no fixed address, is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court later.