Nottingham triple murder: Man, 32 denies murder of three in city centre but admits manslaughter

A man has admitted killing three people and pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of three more in a series of attacks in Nottingham in June. Valdo Calocane, also known as Adam Mendes, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday (November 28) where he pleaded not guilty to murdering university students Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on June 13, but admitted their manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

At the same hearing, the 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of three pedestrians – Sharon Miller, Marcin Gawronski and Wayne Birkett – on the same day after hitting them with a van he had allegedly stolen from Mr Coates. He appeared in the dock dressed in a dark suit and looked straight ahead during the 15-minute hearing.

His barrister, Peter Joyce KC, said the defendant “does not dispute the physical facts of the prosecution’s case”, but added that he had been suffering from “extreme” mental illness at the time. Prosecutor Karim Khalil said they would need further time to decide whether Calocane’s pleas were acceptable or not.

Calocane is accused of fatally stabbing O'Malley-Kumar and Webber on Ilkeston Road, followed by using the stolen van to target pedestrians on Milton Street and South Sherwood Street. Despite being a former university student, the police asserted that Calocane's previous academic status was unrelated to the incident.

Vigils were held to honour the victims, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating Nottinghamshire Police's role in the incident. The case was adjourned until January 16, 2024, by Judge Mr Justice Turner.