Nottinghamshire Police are facing intense scrutiny for failing to alert the families of 2023 stabbing victims that a mentally ill man was stalking them. The unnamed individual targeted the Somerset home of Barnaby Webber and the medical practice of Dr .. Sanjoy Kumar, the father of victim Grace O'Malley-Kumar.
From Somerset Homes to Dr. Sanjoy Kumar's Surgery
The unnamed stalker, who had escaped from a mental health facility, reportedly traveled across the country to locate the families of those killed in the 2023 Nottingham attacks. According to the report,the man specifically sought out the family residence of Barnaby Webber in Somerset and the GP surgery where Dr. Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, was employed.
Despite the concrete nature of these movements, Nottinghamshire Police did not notify the grievnig families. The report says that officers downplayed the danger, operating under the assumption that the mentally ill man was attempting to provide help to the families rather than posing a threat.
The 'Helpful' Narrative and the August 24 IOPC Referral
The failure to communicate this threat only came to light after the mental health patient complained that his allegations were being ignored.. This led Nottinghamshire Police to refer themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on August 24, as the force began to address the fallout of its silence.
Emma Webber, the mother of Barnaby Webber, described the situation as "utterly chilling and terrifying." She noted that the families were denied basic safeguarding advice and were unable to take protective measures for their homes, workplaces, or the school attended by Barnaby's brother,Charlie.
A Pattern of Failure: Valdo Calocane's Outstanding Warrant
This latest lapse echoes the systemic failures surrounding the original perpetrator, Valdo Calocane. Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic born in Guinea-Bissau, had been sectioned four times and had a documented history of violence, yet he remained in the community at the time of the killings despite an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
The current controversy suggests a recurring inability by Nottinghamshire Police to manage high-risk individuals. Emma Webber has highlighted the striking similarities between the handling of Calocane and the handling of the second stalker,suggesting a culture of negligence regarding the safety of the public and the victims' families.
The Withheld Profiles and the January 2025 IOPC Assessment
Significant questions remain regarding why Nottinghamshire Police withheld information for several months while they internally prepared profiles and consulted with lawyers. The report indicates that the force was aware of the man's links to the Prevent programme and his history of concerning behavior, yet chose not to disclose this to the families.
Furthermore, the IOPC revealed it had spoken to the potential witness in January 2025 as part of its broader investigation into the force's interactions with Valdo Calocane. However, the watchdog initially assessed that information as not relevant to its inquiries, raising questions about whether the IOPC also underestimated the risk posed by the stalker's fixations.
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