A court in the UK has heard details of the shocking stabbing attack that took place in Nottingham last year.
The attack carried out by 32-year-old Valdo Calocane – originally from West Africa – who is also known as Adam Mendes claimed the lives of three people.
Students Grace O’Malley-Kumar (19), her friend Barnaby Webber (19) and “beloved” school caretaker Ian Coates (65) lost their lives in the attack which took place on a summer night in June last year.
Grace was the daughter of Irish woman Sinéad O’Malley.
Calcocane stole Ian Coates’ van after fatally stabbing him. As he lay dying on the street, Calconane used the white van to hit three members of the public, one of whom was critically injured. Mr Coates’ body was found around two miles away from the students’ bodies, on Magdala Road.
Friends Grace and Barnaby were the first to be attacked while they were walking home. During today’s court hearing it emerged that Grace had desperately tried to save Barnaby from the “merciless attack” unleashed upon him.
She had tried to push Calocane away from her friend. Her actions which were described as “incredible bravery” caused the attacker to turn his attention to her resulting in her losing her life.
Prosecutor Karim Kahlil KC said Calocane was “as uncompromisingly brutal in his assault of Grace as he was in his assault of Barnaby”
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, John 15:13
She could have run away to get help – I don’t think anyone would have blamed her if she did – after all what hope would a 19-year-old girl have against a fully grown man with a knife?
Instead she chose to stand by her friend until the end. It’s impossible to think about their final moments without shedding tears.
After their deaths the tragic teen’s fathers paid emotional tribute to their lost children.
'Look after each other,' says the father of killed student Grace O'Malley-Kumar.
The fathers of Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley Kumar – David Webber and Sanjoy Kumar – spoke to those attending the vigil.
Read more: https://t.co/HLb6m2YFCb pic.twitter.com/DRBnRSIeW4
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 14, 2023
Through tears Grace’s dad Sanjoy Kuman commented on the importance of looking after one’s friends saying that Barnaby and Grace “fell together”.
Both fathers spoke of how much Grace and Barnaby loved Nottingham where they were studying.
Barnaby had dreams of becoming a cricket player with the Webber family saying that .“Complete pain and devastation is not enough to describe our pain and loss at the senseless murder of our son,”
Grace was a medical student – her father having won an MBE for his work in saving the lives of stabbing victims in the UK – and a talented hockey player.
England Hockey paid tribute saying, “Grace was a popular member of the England U16 and U18 squads and are thoughts are with Grace’s family, friends, teammates and the whole hockey community at this time,”
Huntingdon Academy, the school where Mr Coates worked, remembered him as a “beloved and respected member” of staff who always went the “extra mile” for students.
With Headteacher Ross Middleton saying:“Ian was a much-loved colleague who always went the extra mile for the benefit of our children and will be greatly missed.
“As a school community, it will take time to process this deeply upsetting news. We wish to extend our sympathy and condolences to all those affected by yesterday’s tragic events.”
Calocane who is understood to have moved to the UK as a teenager, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Grace, Barnaby, and Ian.
He did this on the understanding that mental illness be accepted as grounds for diminished responsibility.
Witnesses said they believed the attack could have been worse had the police not arrived on the scene, eventually bringing Calocane under control with the use of tasers.
Read more details on the background of the attack here.