Triple Nottingham killer's ex-housemate 'left flat out of fear'

A public inquiry has revealed testimony from the former flatmate of Valdo Calocane, the individual responsible for the Nottingham attacks on 13 June 2023. The witness, known only as Sebastian, recounted how he left their shared flat due to fear following a troubling encounter where Calocane forcibly held him against a wall. On that day, Calocane killed three people—Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber, and Grace O’Malley-Kumar—and seriously injured three others in a series of assaults throughout Nottingham. The inquiry continues to collect testimonies from over 100 witnesses examining the circumstances that led to these tragic events.

Among the evidence presented, the inquiry heard about Calocane’s visits to MI5 headquarters in London, where he asked to be arrested. On 31 May 2021, Calocane appeared at Thames House claiming he had important information but refused to elaborate further when questioned by armed officer PC Graham Foster and his colleague. Despite traveling some distance from Nottingham on a warm day while wearing a black coat, Calocane showed no outward signs of unusual behavior. Officer Foster explained, “He was calm, compliant and coherent, so I was happy with the response he gave me.” As no arrest was made, Calocane eventually took an Uber back home. The inquiry also noted that an assessment of Calocane was later shared with Nottinghamshire Police following this incident.

Sebastian described his experiences living with Calocane during 2019-2020 and then again in 2021, when Calocane returned to their flat in Salisbury Street, Lenton, near the University of Nottingham. On 5 July 2021, Sebastian came home to find Calocane unexpectedly grab him by his shirt and arm and press him against a wall, uttering confusing remarks and warning that someone would contact him, to which Calocane added that he would “find them” if contacted. Despite this alarming episode, Sebastian stated that before these events, Calocane had appeared relatively quiet, with no obvious signs of mental health struggles. However, a week later, Calocane tried to enter Sebastian’s locked room while he was asleep, prompting Sebastian to move out out of fear. “I know he is aggressive and that he could harm me again out of nowhere,” Sebastian told the inquiry, emphasizing his desire to avoid further harm.

The inquiry also heard that after moving out, Sebastian received multiple phone calls from Calocane, which he ignored and eventually blocked. They later unexpectedly met at a gym in 2022 where Calocane initiated friendly conversation and even sent Sebastian a Facebook friend request, which he accepted briefly before blocking again. Sebastian revealed that Calocane followed him home on two separate occasions, leading him to report the second incident to the police. A subsequent conversation with a police officer clarified that this repeated behavior should be classified as stalking, with the officer advising it was time to confront Calocane. This testimony adds further insight into the deepening concerns surrounding Calocane’s behavior prior to the attacks

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