THE man who admitted to killing Taunton student Barnaby Webber and two others in a spate of attacks in Nottingham is due to appear in court today.

At a hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on November 28, 2023, Valdo Calocane pleaded not guilty to murdering 19-year-old university students Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar as well as school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on June 13 last year – but admitted their manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility.

He pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of three pedestrians after hitting them with a van he had allegedly stolen from Mr Coates.

Judge Mr Justice Turner adjourned the case until January while the prosecution decided whether Calocane’s pleas were acceptable or not.

The case will continue at Nottingham Crown Court this morning (Tuesday, January 23).

Defence barrister Peter Joyce KC earlier said the defendant “does not dispute the physical facts of the prosecution’s case”, but added that he had been suffering from “extreme” mental illness at the time.

Calocane is accused of fatally knifing Ms O’Malley-Kumar and Mr Webber, who were studying medicine and history at the University of Nottingham respectively, on Ilkeston Road at around 4am on June 13.

Mr Coates was then found dead in Magdala Road around an hour later.

The defendant is then alleged to have used Mr Coates’ van to drive at three pedestrians, Wayne Birkett, Marcin Gawronski and Sharon Miller, in Milton Street and South Sherwood Street - they all survived.

Read more: 'No stone unturned to ensure justice' vow family of Taunton man stabbed to death 

Calocane was previously a student at the university, although Nottinghamshire Police said at the time that they did not believe this was connected to the incident.

Thousands of people attended vigils for the victims both at the University of Nottingham and in the city centre in the wake of the attacks.

Hundreds gathered at the Taunton Minister on July 14 to pay their respects to Barnaby Webber at his funeral.

Mr Webber, from Taunton in Somerset, was a keen cricketer and “an extraordinary ‘ordinary’ person”, his family said.

In a joint statement, Barnaby and Grace's families said: “We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice is properly served for Barnaby and Grace, and for all those affected by the devastating events of that evening."

Ms O’Malley-Kumar, a hockey player from Woodford in London, was described by her family as being “loved endlessly by all” and “resilient and wise beyond her years”.

Two of Mr Coates’ sons said his death had “rocked everyone’s world”, adding: “Nobody deserves this but he definitely didn’t.”