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

A former flatmate of Valdo Calocane has told a public inquiry he moved out of their shared accommodation out of fear, after the triple killer grabbed him and held him against a wall.

Calocane killed Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley Kumar and seriously injured three others in a spate of attacks across Nottingham on 13 June 2023.

The Nottingham attacks are the subject of a public inquiry which, on Tuesday, heard from Calocane's former flatmate - named only as Sebastian - who said Calocane tried to get into his room as he slept, and followed him home on two occasions before the killings.

The inquiry also heard Calocane visited the MI5 headquarters in London, asking to be arrested.

The Nottingham Inquiry is continuing to hear evidence from more than 100 witnesses about the events that led to the attacks in 2023.

Nottinghamshire Police officers, the University of Nottingham and former neighbours are among the witnesses who have given evidence since the beginning of the hearings at Mary Ward House in London on 23 February.

Calocane had a history of mental health issues, and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in July 2020.

On Tuesday, the inquiry heard details about Calocane's visit to Thames House, the MI5 headquarters in Westminster, on 31 May 2021.

Calocane said he had information and asked to be arrested.

PC Graham Foster, an armed officer of the Metropolitan Police, attended with another officer.

In bodyworn footage played to the inquiry, Calocane told Foster he wanted to speak to someone, but would not disclose any further information to the officers.

When it was established he would not be able to speak to anyone, Calocane ordered an Uber to go home.

When asked why he did not question Calocane on his reason for wanting to be arrested, Foster said: "I was content with the response that he gave.

"He was calm, compliant and coherent, so I was happy with the response he gave me."

The inquiry heard despite it being a "warm summer's day", Calocane was wearing a black coat, and he had also travelled "some distance" from Nottingham to visit Thames House.

Despite that, Foster told the inquiry Calocane did not display anything "unusual".

An assessment of Calocane - prompted by the MI5 visit - was later sent to Nottinghamshire Police, the inquiry heard.

Sebastian then gave evidence to the inquiry, explaining he lived with Calocane between 2019 and 2020, and then again in 2021, when Calocane moved back into the accommodation in Salisbury Street in Lenton, close to the University of Nottingham campus.

On 5 July 2021, Sebastian told the inquiry he returned home, when Calocane - referred to in the inquiry as "VC" - came out of his room and suddenly grabbed him.

"When I entered the flat, VC came out of his room which was opposite the flat front door, and he was walking with me, and he took the box [I was carrying] from me as if he was helping me put it down," he said.

"Then he grabbed hold of my shirt and my arm and pushed me against the wall and said some confusing words.

"Then he basically said someone would contact me and that if they contacted me, I should tell them that VC would find them."

After Sebastian acknowledged what he said, Calocane said "good man", and went back to his room, the inquiry heard.

A week later, on 14 July, Sebastian said Calocane attempted to enter his room while he was asleep, and while the room was locked.

It was that incident that prompted Sebastian to move out.

"I know he is aggressive and that he could harm me again out of nowhere," Sebastian said.

"I just wanted to make sure it did not happen again."

However, Sebastian said before those interactions, Calocane was "fairly quiet" and any mental health issues were "not obvious" to him.

Following that, Sebastian said he received a number of phone calls from Calocane which he ignored, and he eventually blocked him.

Then, in 2022, Sebastian came across Calocane at the gym.

He told the inquiry he had never seen Calocane at the gym that early before - between 06:00 and 07:00.

"I sat down to do the exercise and then realised who I sat down next to," he said.

Sebastian said Calocane "couldn't have known" which gym he was going to after he had moved out of their previous shared accommodation, as he had changed the gym he regularly attended.

The pair got into a conversation, during which Calocane was "friendly".

Sebastian said: "Just normal chit-chat really. He did mention that he tried to call me at one point."

Calocane then urged Sebastian to accept a Facebook friend request, which he did.

"I just wanted to get the conversation over with, which I thought I would do by accepting the friend request, and then the plan was to block him again straight after, which I possibly did," Sebastian said.

Sebastian told the inquiry he was later followed home by Calocane on two occasions.

After reporting the second incident to police, Sebastian said he received a call from an officer several days later.

"I don't remember the full conversation but, essentially, because it is now a repeat occasion, that I was followed home, it should be classified as stalking and she fairly firmly said it was time to talk to VC," he added.