Who were Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber? Nottingham killer's victim's last known moments explored

On January 23, 2024, Nottingham Crown Court accepted Valdo Calocane's plea of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. New case details emerged as Calocane assumed responsibility for the murder of Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber, and Ian Coates, who lost their lives to his knife rampage in the early hours of June 13, 2023.

Disclaimer: The following article talks about brutal violence and murder that may be triggering to some. Readers' discretion is advised.

During the hearing, Grace O'Malley-Kumar's father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, lauded his daughter's bravery in the face of violence, saying that she "heroically" fought to defend Barnaby Webber before Calocane turned the knife on her.

"She heroically and valiantly fought you. Like a hero she put herself in harm's way. But unfortunately because of the weapon you carried she stood no chance," he said.

New developments in the case have piqued netizens' interest in Grace and Barnaby's lives, as well as what they were up to when Calocane attacked them.

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Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were students at the University of Nottingham

Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were 19-year-old students at the University of Nottingham. O'Malley-Kumar was an avid hockey player who played for the under-16 and under-18 England Hockey Teams, amongst other clubs.

She was a first-year medical student who wanted to be a doctor like her father. According to ITV News, she wanted to join the Royal Army Medical Corps and go on to train as a surgeon. She also trained as a vaccinator and had treated hundreds of people during the pandemic.

Hailing from Taunton, Barnaby Webber was born to parents Emma and David Webber in 2004. He had a younger brother, Charlie, and had graduated from Taunton School. In his victim impact statement, Webber's father described him as "a vibrant, loving boy."

He was a fellow student at the University of Nottingham and hoped to serve in the armed services after he finished his studies. As per Sky News, Webber was also a sportsman with a passion for cricket. He was a member of the University of Nottingham Cricket Club.

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Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber had been out celebrating the morning of their murders

Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were on their way back to their student accommodations after celebrating their end-of-the-year exams when they were attacked at 4 am on Ilkeston Road, Nottingham.

According to BBC, Prosecutor Karim Khalil KC told the hearing that Calocane attacked Webber first with a dagger, stabbing him repeatedly, which resulted in "grave injuries."

Webber fell to the floor, and O'Malley-Kumar rushed to protect her friend. She valiantly fought Calocane for 30 seconds before he turned on her and was "as uncompromisingly brutal in his assault." Her injuries were too severe and she collapsed on the road.

Webber tried to defend himself and kicked out at his attacker but to no avail. The prosecutor said that Calocane "calmly" walked away from the scene of the crime. O'Malley-Kumar and Webber's bodies were found barely five minutes away from their accommodations.

As per BBC, Calocane made his way to Magdala Road following his double killing, where he repeatedly stabbed 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates and stole his Vauxhall van, which he used to ram into three people.

Calocane was arrested at around 5:30 am. He denied the murder charges in November 2023 but pled guilty to three counts of manslaughter and three counts of attempted murder on January 23, 2024. He now faces a sentencing hearing that is expected to last for two days.