Grace O'Malley-Kumar: Student posthumously awarded George Medal for 'exceptional courage' after being killed in Nottingham stabbing
A student who was stabbed to death in the Nottingham attacks has been posthumously awarded the George Medal for her “exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger”.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was killed in the attack after she intervened and tried to save Barnaby Webber, also 19, during the attack which happened while they walked home from a night out in 2023. Both of the Nottingham University students were killed, as was school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, at the hand of paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who was given an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Grace is one of 20 people who were honoured in the latest Gallantry list. Other recipients on the list include Richard O’Brien, who stopped his car to intervene in the stabbing of a woman and restrain the attacher in 2021, and school staff members Alicia Richard and Molly Bulmer, who tackled and restrained a student who launched an attack on student and staff with broken glass in Sheffield in 2024.
Sir Keir said: “This is what true courage looks like. In moments of unimaginable danger, these extraordinary people acted with selflessness and bravery that speaks to the very best of who we are as a nation.
“We owe each of them – and their families – our deepest thanks. Their actions remind us of the strength and compassion that run through our communities. I want to pay tribute to all of the recipients, including Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her friend. Her legacy will live on as a powerful example of heroism.”
Her citation on the George Medal, which will be presented to her family, reads: “Grace’s exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger serve as an outstanding example of personal bravery.”
Prosecutor Karim Khalil KC told the the court during Calocane’s trial that Grace has shown “incredible bravery” by trying to protect Mr Webber from Calocane’s attacks, and even attempted to push him into the road and fight him off. Calocane then turned his vicious attack on Grace, with the killers described as being “as uncompromisingly brutal in his assault of Grace as he was in his assault of Barnaby.”