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Killer Discharged Before Fatal Attacks: Inquiry Hears
6 May
Summary
- Schizophrenic man discharged months before killing three.
- Mental health team couldn't find patient before discharge.
- Inquiry hears warnings about patient's risk to public.
Valdo Calocane, who suffered from schizophrenia, was discharged from the care of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in September 2022. This occurred after he failed to attend appointments or engage with the Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service for two years.
Months after his discharge, Calocane murdered three individuals: students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65. He then attempted to attack three more people using a stolen van. An inquiry into the events heard that Calocane's care coordinator could not locate him for treatment.
During the inquiry, a former team leader for the trust stated that they felt they had no "holding powers" and could not find Calocane to work with him. She confirmed they had "lost" him and that this was primarily why he was discharged back to his GP, despite previous warnings that he posed a risk and would ultimately kill someone.
Further testimony revealed that Calocane's GP received very little information following his discharge. The trust also did not inform Nottinghamshire Police about Calocane's release from their services. Current practices at the trust are reportedly different now, with a greater emphasis on patient engagement.
