The devastated families whose loved-ones died at the hands of triple-killer Valdo Calocane have pleaded with NHS England to reconsider their refusal to publish a full report on the health care he received prior to his knife rampage.
The full version of the mental health homicide report is being kept confidential due to data protection laws, but a summary will become publicly available this week.
But the families believe the brief overview will fail to provide a full-picture of failings before the now 33-year-old launched his June 2023 killing spree.
Only Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust will have access to the full report, with all other mental health trusts receiving the case outline.
Calocane butchered university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old caretaker Ian Coates before he tried to kill three others people in a knife and van rampage.
He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder after medical evidence showed he had paranoid schizophrenia.
He was later sentenced for manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and attempted murder.
The three families had labelled the killings a “series of catastrophic missed opportunities” which led to “entirely preventable deaths” and vowed “no stone will be left unturned” in their battle for justice.
Speaking on behalf of the families ahead of the NHS England (NHSE) report’s publication, adviser Radd Seiger said: “The families have already reached out to NHSE to strongly urge them to publish the findings in full.
“They believe it is very much in the public interest and in the interests of safety to do so. NHSE have thus far refused.”
An NHS England spokesperson said: “Independent mental health homicide reports are commissioned by NHS England and published in line with the requirements of confidentiality and data protection legislation relating to patient information.”
First year undergraduates Grace and Barnaby were walking back to their student accommodation following an end-of-term year out when they were set-upon and stabbed to death.
Hockey-loving Grace tried to defend Barnaby as he was stabbed “repeatedly” by Calocane, who was suffering from “serious” mental illness at the time he pounced from the shadows as they walked past.
She then bravely fought with Calocane before he ruthlessly turned his knife on her.
Mr Coates was found dead around an hour later after Calocane ambushed him as he left home to drive to work.
The killer then stole Mr Coates’ van and mowed down three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, who miraculously all survived.
Calocane was convinced he was controlled by MI5 and had been in and out of a mental hospital ever since he was diagnosed nearly three years before his killing spree – leaving the authorities with questions to answer about why he wasn’t dealt with sooner.
The killer had a four-year history of mental issues which had spiralled during lockdown, triggering a spate of alarming incidents which brought him to the attention of the university, police and healthcare professionals.
In one case a young female student was so terrified after being followed into her accommodation by Calocane that she jumped out of a window to escape him –suffering serious injuries.
The woman’s mother was said to be so concerned she is believed to have contacted the University of Nottingham about Calocane, but he was allowed to continue his mechanical engineering studies.
