Families of Nottingham knife rampage victims blast BBC Panorama show as 'shameful'

Grieving families say a BBC show about a triple killer made their trauma “a million times worse”.

Paranoid Schizophrenic Valdo Calocane knifed two students and a school caretaker in Nottingham in 2023.

Relatives of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates have made a formal complaint about the Panorama episode. They say it contained inaccuracies, was too sympathetic towards the knifeman’s family and they were refused a preview screening.

Barnaby’s mum Emma said: “We believe what the BBC produced is a very imbalanced documentary – it’s shameful, cold, ill-judged,
arrogant and thoughtless.” Their loved ones were killed when Valdo Calocane, 32, went on the rampage through the streets of Nottingham in June last year.

He knifed Barnaby and Grace, both 19, as they returned from a night out in the early hours, then stabbed school caretaker Ian, 65, and stole his van, crashing it into three people, who suffered serious injuries. The victims’ families were further traumatised when they learned police had failed to detain Calocane when he attacked a cop a year before. And they were devastated when prosecutors dropped murder charges.

Instead, in January, Calocane admitted manslaughter and received a hospital order because of his mental condition. Last night Emma, speaking on behalf of all three families, said watching the BBC’s treatment of the case had made their trauma even worse. The BBC only informed them about the show after they had already filmed it and a fortnight before it was due to be broadcast.

Panorama’s 'The Nottingham Attacks: A Search For Answers' aired last month and boasted it would consider “big questions” on the case. But Emma said: “We were not considered or consulted at any point to advise that this was being made.”

She said the BBC told them “people would be talking on camera for the first time” – but refused requests for more details about the programme. So they only knew that the killer’s family were being interviewed when they sat down to watch. Emma said: “None of the families had seen or heard the voices of Calocane’s family. To even know their names is trauma.

“To hear them and later see the cute childhood pictures of the murderer proudly displayed on screen made it a million times worse.” After watching the documentary, they expressed concerns about claims by Calocane’s family that they did not know of his mental health issues until after the attacks. And they are demanding to know why editors chose not to include the fact that his mum was an NHS nurse.

“There were a wide number of ­inaccuracies and clearly curated editing to make it an attack on the NHS failures and a sympathetic piece towards the family,” Emma said. “We utterly dispute that the family did not know of his diagnosis until after the attacks. We have seen evidence that they knew years ago.”

The families attempted to resolve the issue by speaking to the show’s editors. But they say responses were “cold” and “dismissive”, leaving them no option but a formal complaint.

Their concerns have escalated to the corporation’s highest “stage two” level and are now awaiting a response. The outcome could see the BBC issue an apology, publish a correction or simply provide “a considered reply”.

If unhappy with the response, the families’ next step will be to go to TV regulator Ofcom. The families’ lawyer Neil Hudgell said: “They were told as a ‘fait accompli’ when the piece was airing, they had no opportunity to be involved. Had they been consulted they could have pointed out some obvious factual errors.

“They believe they were excluded so the programme could promote the narrative that the Calocane family were victims too. They were not afforded an early viewing and were caused considerable additional anxiety in the run-up to it airing, having to speculate on what it may or may not cover. Their fears were confirmed.

“They have no interest in compensation, this is about proper accountability based on fair, proper and accurate reporting. It is about setting the record straight.”

Emma, from Taunton, Somerset, added: “We have nothing to hide, embellish or defend. We cannot bring our beautiful boy back but we can and will insist on getting answers and uncovering the truth, for however long it may take and whichever way we have to do it.”

Calocane, an engineering student, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020 and was sectioned four times in less than two years. In court, he was told he would “very probably” be detained for life after five psychiatrists agreed mental illness caused his violent behaviour.

Calocane’s mother Celeste and brother Elias told Panorama of a series of missed opportunities over three years to prevent the tragedy. They called for a public inquiry and urgent mental health reforms.

Panorama has been involved in several controversies, most notably when it emerged Martin Bashir’s ­infamous 1995 interview with
Princess Diana had been obtained using deception and forgery.

The BBC said: “Complaints will be looked at according to our procedure.”