Attacks by NHS trust's patients ‘do not surprise us', say Nottingham families

Independent

23-05-2025

The mother of a student killed in the Nottingham attacks has said the victims' families stand united with anyone affected by stabbings carried out by those under the care of a 'woefully inadequate' mental health trust.
Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, said the failings of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 'continue to concern but sadly not surprise us' following the news that two men with paranoid schizophrenia, treated by the trust, stabbed members of the public in separate incidents weeks before the attacks.
Josef Easom-Cooper and Junior Dietlin attacked six men in the county in 2023.
Dr Susan Elcock, deputy chief executive and executive medical director at the trust, apologised 'for any aspect of our care which was not of the high standard our patients, their families and our communities deserve'.
Another of the trust's patients, Valdo Calocane, went on to kill students Barnaby and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before attempting to kill three other people in the city in June 2023.
A report into Calocane's care said he was not forced to have long-lasting anti-psychotic medication because he did not like needles.
On behalf of the Nottingham families, Ms Webber told the PA news agency: 'Unless we expose those who are failing individually then nothing will ever change.'
She said: 'The findings in the latest revelation about the Nottinghamshire mental health trust and its failings continue to concern but sadly not surprise us.
'As has been proven, it was a woefully inadequate, failing service.
'The statutory inquiry will provide our family with the opportunity to do the deeper dive and find out much more detail than any of the half-baked investigations that have taken place so far.
'What we find personally insulting is this continued 'unreserved apology and lessons will be learned' – they are not. They never have been.
'Unless we expose those who are failing individually then nothing will ever change.
'We completely stand united with anyone affected by any of these crimes, and in Barney, Grace and Ian's name, we will hold those to account who failed in any agency, and we will make sure that there is lasting change, not unreserved apologies and dusty reports on shelves.'
In April 2023, Easom-Cooper stabbed a church-goer outside an Easter service and was sentenced to a hospital order in December of the same year.
His mother, Shelly Easom, told the BBC he was sectioned in 2022 for three months and was discharged despite her telling the trust that he 'was not OK when he was released'.
She told the broadcaster the attack could have been prevented if his condition had been taken more seriously.
Dietlin stabbed five strangers in Nottingham and Mansfield nine weeks before the attack by Easom-Cooper and he also received a hospital order.
Former police officer Keith Grafton, who was one of Dietlin's victims, told the BBC he was 'disappointed' his attacker had not received a prison sentence.
The broadcaster said a report showed Dietlin had been involved with violent incidents with staff at Highbury Hospital in June 2022 and following his release, he took his medication 'very irregularly'.
The BBC reported the day after his first attack on February 8 2023, he was visited by a staff member at the trust for a medication drop, but when community staff visited they found no signs of psychosis.
Dietlin stabbed four more people between February 11 and 12.
The trust said learning was identified in both cases – including capacity and risk assessment, liaison with police, medication drop-offs and follow-up and the role of families in working with patients who were harder to engage with.
Dr Elcock said: 'Firstly, I apologise to those impacted by these incidents and for any aspect of our care which was not of the high standard our patients, their families and our communities deserve.
'Whilst we are unable to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality, I want to assure people that following any serious incident there is a robust review process which includes an initial management review to ensure any immediate learning and action takes place.
'This is then followed by a full investigation and a clear quality improvement plan detailing any learning and subsequent actions required.
'We have also implemented the new national patient safety incident response framework (PSIRF) which further strengthens this review and learning process.
'We know that it is really important for patients and families to be fully involved and I am confident our approach now ensures this happens, and that issues are addressed swiftly and transparently with patients involved in every aspect of their care.
'Above all, we remain fully committed to ensuring all our patients and their families receive the care they deserve, and our communities feel safe.'