Nottingham Inquiry Opening Hearings

Public hearings in the Nottingham Inquiry started on Monday 23 February 2026, with opening statements from Counsel to the Inquiry.  Opening statements from all Core Participants followed on Tuesday 24 February 2026.  The Inquiry will report by April 2027 and hearings are expected to continue until Summer 2026.

The Inquiry will consider the events of 13 June 2023, when Valdo Calocane, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had previous interactions with health services and the police, killed three people and seriously injured three others in Nottingham city centre.

In November 2023, VC pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in relation to each of the three killings. He also pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the three further attacks. On 25 January 2024, VC was sentenced to a hospital order and restriction under s37 and s.41 of the Mental Health Act 1983 on each offence to run concurrently.

Tim Moloney KC, Angela Patrick, Philippa Eastwood and Rachel Woodward act for the bereaved families of Barney Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, instructed by Hudgell Solicitors and Fletchers Solicitors.  

More information about the Inquiry can be found on the Hudgell and Fletchers solicitors webpages.

The written submissions are available here.

Watch the opening hearing statement here.

You can find more information about the Inquiry and how to view the hearings, here.