Attack victim's mum to seek justice for 'rest of my life'

The mum of a 19-year-old who was among three people stabbed to death during the Nottingham attacks says she will continue to campaign for justice for the rest of her life, after the public inquiry into the killings ended this week.

Barnaby Webber, of Taunton, Somerset, was fatally stabbed along with Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates on 13 June 2023 by Valdo Calocane.

Barnaby's mum, Emma Webber, said: "The rest of my life is going to be dealing with this." The inquiry heard this week her son's death was "potentially preventable".

During the inquiry that ended on Wednesday, counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC gave credit to the families for bringing to light "one failure after another".

Emma Webber told BBC Somerset: "We've had some shocking new evidence disclosed as late as last Friday that requires further questioning.

"It's harrowing stuff. Barney did have a chance of survival had he had quicker emergency response intervention, and had there been better coordination from the police control room."

The inquiry was told a "more rapid administration of blood products" could have increased his chances of getting to hospital with enough of a heartbeat to undergo surgery.

However, multiple other rapid and particular steps would have had to have taken place for him to have survived, the inquiry was told.

The inquiry heard oral evidence from 164 witnesses over 14 weeks until 5 June, as the lead-up to the attacks and the aftermath were examined.

Closing submissions were heard on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the inquiry's findings set to be published by May next year.

Longdale KC said in her closing statement on Wednesday: "I hope that these few months will give you much-needed time for reflection and healing."

Witnesses at the inquiry included police staff and officers, mental healthcare practitioners, Calocane's former flatmates and family members, the bereaved families and the survivors of the attacks.

A number of revelations emerged in evidence about errors in Calocane's care, his previous interactions with police and failings both during and in the aftermath of the attacks.

Barnaby's mum said that while the inquiry had ended now, she would not be able to rest.

"It's incredibly painful. It furthers our resolve to see this through until the bitter end because we can't bring him back," Webber said.

"It's the only way we'll ever get proper change because people in agencies have gotten away with it for far too long."

Webber added she would continue to campaign to seek justice for the rest of her life.

Calocane - who also seriously injured three others - is currently serving an indefinite hospital order in a high-security facility after pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and to three counts of attempted murder.

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