Nottingham killer's NHS trust criticised over further failings
Two patients who were treated at the same NHS trust as the Nottingham killer carried out stabbings weeks before his fatal attacks, it has emerged.
Paranoid schizophrenics Josef Easom-Cooper and Junior Dietlin attacked six people weeks before Valdo Calocane's knife rampage in which he killed three people in June 2023.
All were under the care of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Calocane killed students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, before attempting to kill three other people in the city.
The 33-year-old was given an indefinite hospital order last year after the murder charges were downgraded to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The families of the victims have repeatedly raised concerns over the trust's alleged failure to treat 'known risk' Calocane appropriately.
A report into Calocane's care found failings including him not being forced to have long-lasting anti-psychotic medication because he did not like needles.
It has now emerged the trust was caring for patients who suffered with the same condition and carried out similar attacks prior to the deadly ones in Nottingham.
In April 2023, Easom-Cooper stabbed a worshipper who was leaving an Easter Sunday service in Sneinton. He was sentenced to a hospital order in December 2023.
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'.
Nine weeks earlier, Dietlin stabbed five 'complete strangers' before also being sentenced to a hospital order.
The broadcaster said a report showed he had been involved with violent incidents with staff at Highbury Hospital in June 2022 and following his release, he took his medication 'very irregularly'.
Reacting to the latest revelations of the mental health trust, Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber, said the failings 'continue to concern but sadly not surprise us'.
On behalf of the Nottingham families, she said: 'Unless we expose those who are failing individually then nothing will ever change.
'As has been proven, it was a woefully inadequate, failing service.'
A public inquiry into the killings, Calocane's care up until that point and the aftermath was announced on Thursday.
Ms Webber said this would provide the families an opportunity to find out more details than 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,' she added.
'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.'
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'.
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