Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Matthew Young & Lucy Thornton & Ryan Merrifield & Hannah Mackenzie Wood

Terrifying moment suspected Nottingham killer tries to break-in to homeless hostel

The is the terrifying moment the man suspected of killing three people in Nottingham attempted to break into a homeless hostel
before murdering his final victim.

Footage shared with the Mirror shows the man trying to climb through a window of Seely Hirst House on Mapperley Road before being fought off by a brave resident. The occupant, who calls himself Trevor, has been hailed as a hero by fellow lodgers and credited with saving the 50 other residents who live in the property.

Speaking to his housemates following the incident, Trevor said: “Nobody’s coming into our gaff and nobody’s coming into my room.”

It is believed the suspect's break-in attempt took place at around 4am, just after he stabbed 19-year-old students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley Kumar to death. After failing to access the property, he appears to calmly walk away, but later went on to murder school caretaker Ian Coates.

A source said the intruder had buzzed the home and asked “is this a hospital ”, but was turned away by staff. He was then watched by a security guard, who has since been praised for the calm way he dealt with the stranger.

The suspect attempted to climb through a window of the hostel (Mirror)

“He observed and didn’t confront which helped,” a source explained. The man then walked around another side of the home and tried to climb through a window.

This is when he was met by Trevor, who fought off the suspected killer by punching and pushing him back, before managing to slam the window shut. Trevor was staying in a ground floor bedsit when the drama unfolded.

The intruder was fought off by a hero resident (Mirror)

Another resident, Jordan, 25, commended Trevor for his actions.

He said: "We could all hear the banging. I think it’s so crazy. We have for CCTV 24 hours and a security man. He came out and spoke to him but it was calm. I feel lucky.”

After falling back to the ground, the man fled the scene. It is believed he then made his way towards Woodborough Road and then onto Magdela Road, where he murdered Mr Coates.

Another resident told the Telegraph: “He tried to get into my ground floor room, through the window.”

They told Sky News: "Thank god I woke up as I might have been dead."

Student Barnaby Webber was killed by the knifeman. (PA)

Alex Pridmore, a trustee of All Saints Homeless Shelter, which runs Seely Hirst House, said: “We don’t know why he chose to come here. He hasn’t stayed here in the past.

“Nobody was harmed but our residents are already vulnerable and something like this leaves them very shaken. We are working closely with the police and assisting their enquiries into this horrific incident.”

He continued: “There are staff on site 24/7. After he was alerted by the resident, the staff member went outside. He basically observed what the guy was doing until he left after a few minutes.”

A male member of staff at the care home kept tabs on the man seen near the window until he had left the property. The police were then called over the attempted break-in and later attended the hostel to speak with residents and workers.

It is thought that the suspect made his way to the Mapperley Road from Ilkeston Road, where Barnaby and Grace were found at 4am.

Grace Kumar was killed in the horror attack. (Mirror)

The body of school caretaker Ian was then found on Magdala Road. He is thought to have been stabbed at around 5am outside Magdala Tennis Club.

The suspect then drove his victim's van to the city centre, where he mowed down three people at bus stop on Milton Street. There are also reports that the man may have used an electric scooter or e-bike to move along part of his route.

School caretaker Ian Coates has been named as the third victim. (Nottingham Post)

Videos show a man being detained on the street next to a van, with eyewitnesses saying he was tasered by officers. Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

In a statement, referring to the hostel incident, the force said: “It is known that a man attacked two University of Nottingham students with a knife on Ilkeston Road on Tuesday 13 June. A call was made to police at 4.04am. Police quickly attended and found a male and female student, aged 19, in the street unresponsive.

“Investigations have then revealed that a man matching the description of the suspect had attempted to gain entry to a supported living complex in Mapperley Road but had been denied entry. This incident was not reported to the police at the time. Police believe the suspect has then attacked a man and stolen his van.”

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.