Killer of former Bulwell Academy caretaker to be detained in high-security hospital

Valdo Calocane, 32, killed 19-year-old Nottingham University students Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and 65-year-old former Bulwell Academy caretaker Ian Coates early on the morning of June 13 last year.

The judge, Mr Justice Turner called Calocane’s crimes ‘sickening’ and said they had ‘wrecked the lives of the victims’ families’.

Calocane fatally stabbed Ms O'Malley-Kumar and Mr Webber on Ilkeston Road in the city at around 4am on the day of the attacks.

Mr Coates was found dead on Magdala Road around one hour later, also suffering from knife wounds.

He had previously worked at Bulwell Academy and its predecesor school River Leen School, for 20 years.

Speaking to the BBC, his son Jamie described his father's killer as ‘the most evil person on this planet’, calling him ‘cold, calculated and brutal’.

He said: "He went out and brutally massacred three people then attempted to kill another three."

Calocane had previously admitted to the attempted murder of three people he hit with a van he stole from Mr Coates in the incident.

All three people survived the collision.

Jamie’s brother Lee added: "He has to spend the rest of his life behind bars, otherwise we have been let down by this country and the judicial system."

"The guy is a coward.”

At a previous hearing, Calocane’s barrister Peter Joyce KC told the court that Calocane was suffering from ‘extreme’ mental illness at the time of the attacks with psychiatric reports heard in court describing him as a ‘paranoid schizophrenic’ and but for his schizophrenia he would not have carried out the attacks.

The court heard that Calocane had a history of serious mental illness, including believing MI6 was spying on him.

The reports also noted the Calocane did not believe he was mentally ill and that the voices he was hearing in his head were real.

Calocane denied murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter from on the basis of diminished responsibility, which was accepted by prosecutors.

The families of Miss O'Malley-Kumar, Mr Webber and Mr Coates were all consulted over the decision to accept his pleas.

Mr Justice Turner added: “This court has seen reports from five distinguished psychiatrists and I must factor their opinions into my sentencing.

"You are undoubtedly suffering from a mental disorder.

"However, none of the evidence relating your mental state detracts from the horror of your actions.

"You were, and remain, dangerous.”