The Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is under investigation for corporate manslaughter after Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic, killed three people in June 2023. Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, is leading the probe.
The Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust faces a corporate manslaughter investigation following the June 2023 attacks by Valdo Calocane, who killed three people and injured others. Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, had been under the trust’s care for two years before being discharged in September 2022. Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, is conducting the probe.
Investigation into Calocane’s Care
Calocane was sectioned under the Mental Health Act four times during the two-year period he was under the trust’s care. A doctor had warned he would end up killing somebody
if untreated. Despite this, he was released and then discharged by the trust in September 2022 because he was not engaging with treatment and the team had lost
him. The public inquiry into the attacks, which concluded in May, heard that Calocane’s discharge was tied to his non-engagement with treatment. Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, has begun an investigation into the trust’s care and treatment of Calocane, according to a spokesperson for the trust.
Northumbria Police, acting on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police, have begun an investigation into matters relating to the care and treatment of Valdo Calocane. We know how important the independent inquiry and police investigation are for the affected families, the survivors and our local communities. We will, of course, be co-operating fully with Northumbria Police, as we have with the Statutory Inquiry into these matters which is being chaired by Her Honour Deborah Taylor and which will hear final submissions from all the parties involved later this year. A spokesperson
Legal Thresholds and Implications
Corporate manslaughter charges require proving a failing was the direct cause of a death and focus on systemic governance, rather than individual clinician fault. Josh Hughes, a partner and head of complex injury at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: The wider ramifications for the delivery of mental health services in this country would be profound. Corporate manslaughter involves an exceptionally high threshold focused on systemic governance, rather than individual clinician fault.
If convicted, the trust could face an unlimited fine. Between 2011 and 2024, 43 corporate manslaughter prosecutions concluded, with 32 resulting in convictions. All of those prosecuted were small businesses or organisations. The trust has been told to preserve all records relating to the attacks.
Calocane’s Background and Aftermath
Calocane, 34, stabbed 19-year-old university students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates, in June 2023. He also attempted to kill three pedestrians by mowing them down with a van. Following the attacks, he pleaded guilty to three counts of manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and to three counts of attempted murder. He is currently serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security facility.
The trust discharged Calocane in September 2022 because he was not engaging with treatment. The trust’s statement reiterated its commitment to cooperating with both the police and the statutory inquiry, which is set to hear final submissions later this year.
Broader Implications for Mental Health Services
The trust’s cooperation with the inquiry and investigation remains a focal point as the legal process unfolds.
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