Body of father was at attacks scene for 15 hours

The body of a school caretaker who was brutally stabbed to death in the Nottingham attacks was left inside a police cordon for 15 hours, a public inquiry has heard.

Valdo Calocane stabbed to death 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and 65-year-old Ian Coates, and tried to kill three others in a spate of attacks in Nottingham on 13 June 2023.

Police arrived at Magdala Road - where Ian had been killed - at about 05:40 BST, but his body was still at the crime scene at 20:30 that night.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, told the inquiry on Monday he could not imagine the distress caused to Ian's family, saying it was "awful".

Griffin was assistant chief constable at the time of the attacks, and assumed the role of "gold commander" on the day - the senior officer with overall strategic command.

The Nottingham Inquiry, which is being held in London and chaired by retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC, is examining the build-up to the attacks and the response that followed.

Griffin told the inquiry he was only made aware that Ian's body had been left in Magdala Road for 15 hours at the weekend, just before giving his evidence.

On the day of the attacks, Calocane first stabbed Barnaby and Grace at about 04:00 in Ilkeston Road.

He then walked nearly two miles away towards Mapperley Road and then to Magdala Road, where he killed Ian at 05:14.

Calocane then took Ian's van and proceeded to drive into the city centre before knocking down the survivors of the attacks - Wayne Birkett, Sharon Miller and Wayne Gawronski.

At 05:39, police arrived at Magdala Road, having been called by a witness shortly before.

Asked why Ian was left for such a long time by Tim Moloney KC - the barrister representing the bereaved families - Griffin said: "It does seem like a long time.

"And for Ian's family, that is particularly traumatic."

At that point during the hearing, Darren Coates - one of Ian's sons - muttered "damn right".

Griffin added: "I have to trust those who say that that amount of time was necessary in order to ensure that all forensic opportunity was maximised."

He said he could not go into any further detail than that.

The inquiry also heard a forensic tent had not arrived at the scene in Magdala Road to cover Ian's body until 07:55.

"Until then, he lay in the street with a blanket or blankets over him," Moloney said.

Asked if he could imagine the distress of that notion for the families, Griffin said: "I actually can't imagine it, it's awful."

He added he did not know the circumstances in "sufficient detail" to know if Ian's body had to stay at the scene for that long.