Families of Nottingham victims disappointed by Court of Appeal ruling
The Court of Appeal has defended its decision not to change Valdo Calocane's sentencing, maintaining that a hospital order would be more effective in protecting society.
The families of Calocane's victims spoke to reporters after the Court of Appeal's hearing
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The families of people stabbed to death in Nottingham last June have said they’re disappointed but not surprised by the outcome of an appeal decision.
On Tuesday morning, Court of Appeal judges rejected an appeal against the sentencing of Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham last June.
The judges ruled that Valdo Calocane’s sentence was “not unduly lenient” because of his medical condition.
The victims were 19-year-olds Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old Ian Coates.
Calocane, 32, was handed a hospital order instead of jail time, due to his mental health.
Valdo Calocane killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates on 13th June last year.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, said the appeal’s outcome was disappointing but not unexpected:
“This is a failure of two police forces. We will continue to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.”
Emma Webber, Barnaby Webber’s mother, also commented: “Today’s ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.”
She also criticised the ruling, saying it highlights the flaws and under-resourcing of the UK criminal justice system.
“Next week we’ll finally get some sort of answer, but it’s not closure. The system’s flawed. We shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t be in this situation. Our children should still be alive.”
Calocane attended the hearing via video link but did not react to the decision.
The reason behind the decision
Calocane was diagnosed with treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia before the attacks. Prosecutors accepted a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and he was given an indefinite hospital order.
The judges acknowledged that while Calocane’s offences caused “unimaginable grief”, his sentence was not unduly lenient, given that his paranoid schizophrenia was “the sole identified cause of these crimes.”
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr told the hearing there was “no error” in the sentence given to Calocane at Nottingham Crown Court in January:
“Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term of imprisonment but neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence.”
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HeadlineFamilies of Nottingham victims disappointed by Court of Appeal ruling
Short HeadlineNottingham victims' families disappointed after appeal
StandfirstThe Court of Appeal has defended its decision not to change Valdo Calocane's sentencing, maintaining that a hospital order would be more effective in protecting society.
The families of people stabbed to death in Nottingham last June have said they’re disappointed but not surprised by the outcome of an appeal decision.
On Tuesday morning, Court of Appeal judges rejected an appeal against the sentencing of Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham last June.
The judges ruled that Valdo Calocane’s sentence was “not unduly lenient” because of his medical condition.
The victims were 19-year-olds Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old Ian Coates.
Calocane, 32, was handed a hospital order instead of jail time, due to his mental health.
Valdo Calocane killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates on 13th June last year.
Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s father, Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, said the appeal’s outcome was disappointing but not unexpected:
“This is a failure of two police forces. We will continue to pursue agencies that failed us and hold them responsible for the Nottingham attacks so that no other family is made to suffer like ours.”
Emma Webber, Barnaby Webber’s mother, also commented: “Today’s ruling comes as no surprise to the families of the Nottingham attack victims. It was inevitable and was not a review of anything other than the letter of the law as it stands.”
She also criticised the ruling, saying it highlights the flaws and under-resourcing of the UK criminal justice system.
“Next week we’ll finally get some sort of answer, but it’s not closure. The system’s flawed. We shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t be in this situation. Our children should still be alive.”
Calocane attended the hearing via video link but did not react to the decision.
The reason behind the decision
Calocane was diagnosed with treatment-resistant paranoid schizophrenia before the attacks. Prosecutors accepted a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and he was given an indefinite hospital order.
The judges acknowledged that while Calocane’s offences caused “unimaginable grief”, his sentence was not unduly lenient, given that his paranoid schizophrenia was “the sole identified cause of these crimes.”
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr told the hearing there was “no error” in the sentence given to Calocane at Nottingham Crown Court in January:
“Had the offender not suffered the mental condition that he did, the sentencing judge would doubtless have been considering a whole life term of imprisonment but neither the judge nor this court can ignore the medical evidence.”
