Mother of Nottingham killer says mental health system is broken until crisis hits

The mother of a man who killed three people in Nottingham in 2023 has told a public inquiry that the mental health system is broken. Celeste Calocane gave evidence for the first time on Wednesday about her son, Valdo Calocane. He has paranoid schizophrenia, a serious mental illness that can cause delusions and hallucinations. In June 2023, Valdo Calocane killed Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and 65-year-old Ian Coates. He also tried to kill three other people. A court gave him a suspended hospital order in January 2024. His mother told the inquiry: “Until there is a crisis, no one listens to you.” Investigators are now looking into how mental health services handled Valdo Calocane’s care before the attacks.