An inquiry into the killings of three people in Nottingham has revealed that secret notebooks belonging to attacker Valdo Calocane, containing disturbing links to terrorism and recipes for explosives, were dismissed by police as unimportant and hidden for three years. The notebooks, found in a holdall at Calocane's home shortly after he killed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, also contained 'deeply misogynistic' ramblings and references to the Manchester Arena attack.
These writings were not considered to be of 'evidential value' by Nottinghamshire police officers, and their existence was only revealed in June when lawyers for the bereaved families noticed a reference in a police statement. The notebooks were finally submitted to the public inquiry into the killings in June, three years after the attacks.
Her Honour Deborah Taylor, chair of the inquiry, expressed frustration at the late disclosure, stating, 'It is disappointing that over the break since we were last here, some evidence has emerged which ought to have been identified by core participants and disclosed earlier.' She ordered any further information to be handed over by the end of the year.
Rachel Langdale KC, counsel for the inquiry, explained that the notebooks were found in a holdall at a property where Calocane had lived. A retired Detective Superintendent stated that a 'detailed examination' of the holdall was 'not prioritised in June 2023 because investigative efforts were focused on recovering the Slazenger bag he had with him on the evening of the attacks.' The holdall remained 'unchecked' until September 2023.
When examined, the contents, including further notebooks and a sketchbook, were not considered of evidential value to the homicide investigation and were not provided to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) or psychiatric experts. The inquiry also heard that a phone found in the bag was not flagged until July 2026 and was a new device with no data.
Calocane, who admitted manslaughter and attempted murder, was detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital in January 2024. Prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Tim Moloney KC, representing the bereaved families, questioned whether experts might have reached a different conclusion and Calocane received a different sentence had they known about his notes on explosives and research into mass tragedies. Calocane had also searched for locations like Rwanda, Manchester Arena, and Iraq, and bookmarked conference centers and theaters.
He added that no one had asked Calocane about his research into explosives and large venues because the police had failed to share this crucial information. The inquiry also heard that a psychiatrist assessing Calocane before his sentencing was not shown videos of his previous violent behavior, including an assault on a police officer.
Further violent assaults by Calocane on colleagues at warehouses were also not disclosed to the inquiry team until after evidence had concluded. Footage of an attack in February 2023, where Calocane punched a colleague, was shown to the inquiry for the first time on Tuesday. This footage was uncovered by the inquiry itself, not Nottinghamshire Police.
Radd Seiger, the families' spokesman, called the late disclosure of the notebooks 'utterly disgraceful,' emphasizing their relevance to the criminal case and questioning why they were not disclosed earlier. Nottinghamshire Police stated they remain 'fully committed to supporting the Inquiry and will fully consider any recommendations that are made when it concludes.'