The man accused of murdering three people and attempting to kill three others in a spate of attacks in Nottingham will enter his pleas in September.
Valdo Calocane appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday charged with murdering 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates, in knife attacks in Nottingham on June 13.
The 31-year-old is also charged with attempting to murder three pedestrians; Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, by driving Mr Coates’ van at them in Milton Street and Upper Parliament Street, in the city centre.
There are a number of people here today who are profoundly and devastatingly affected by this case— Judge Nirmal Shant KC
When asked to identify himself at the start of the hearing, the defendant replied “my name is Adam Mendes”, which he also said when he faced magistrates in the city on Saturday.
Wearing a grey prison jumper and tracksuit, and flanked by five security officers in the dock, Calocane, of no fixed abode, remained calm in the dock and was not asked to enter pleas during the hearing in the packed courtroom.
Peter Ratliff, prosecuting, said: “This is a complex and ongoing investigation with multiple lines of inquiry being pursued.”
Judge Nirmal Shant KC adjourned proceedings until a plea and trial preparation hearing on September 25 at the same court and thanked the families of the victims for their “upmost restraint”.
Speaking to Mr Ratliff, with members of Mr Coates’ family in court, the judge said: “There are a number of people here today who are profoundly and devastatingly affected by this case.
“Can I say through you that they have shown the upmost restraint and dignity and I thank them for it.”
Judge Shant set a provisional trial date of January 12 2024 and remanded Calocane into custody.
Calocane, who was arrested on the day of the attacks, had previously studied at the University of Nottingham, where two of the victims were students, but police previously said that “this is not believed to be connected with the attack”.
The family of Mr Webber, a history student from Taunton in Somerset, described their “complete devastation” at the “senseless murder of our son”, saying he was a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to”.
On Sunday, Mr Webber’s cricket club, Bishops Hull, announced a memorial game would be taking place to honour their “irreplaceable teammate and friend”, with his father, David, claiming the “amazing” support the family has received “gives us strength”.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s family described her as a “truly wonderful and beautiful young lady” and that she would be “so dearly missed”.
The medical student, from Woodford in London, had represented Essex in cricket as a teenager and had also played for England Hockey.
Two of Mr Coates’ sons said his death had “rocked everyone’s world”, adding: “Nobody deserves this but he definitely didn’t.”
Thousands attended vigils at the university and Market Square to remember the victims, and a minute’s silence was held ahead of the first Ashes cricket Test in the city on Friday.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating after Nottinghamshire Police referred itself to the watchdog the day after the attacks.
The IOPC said on Friday that an officer driving a single-crewed vehicle was responding to a related call when it came across the van allegedly being driven by Calocane.
Dashcam footage suggests the officer had sight of it for less than a minute before it hit pedestrians.
The officer immediately stopped to give first aid to those who had been hit, with the investigation to consider whether the actions of the van driver were influenced by the presence of the police car.
