Nottingham attack families back police watchdog's probe into top cop cover-up claims

The Chief Constable volition look an Independent Office for Police Conduct probe aft she allegedly tried to halt journalists revealing knifeman Valdo Calocane had been reported TWICE to cops for stalking

A Chief Constable is to beryllium investigated by the constabulary watchdog implicit claims that she covered up failings linked to the Nottingham stabbings.

Kate Meynell volition look an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) probe aft she allegedly tried to halt journalists revealing knifeman Valdo Calocane had been reported doubly to cops for stalking earlier sidesplitting Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates successful 2023.

Ms Meynell called a backstage property briefing to uncover the 2 incidents – but past made reporters motion Non-Disclosure Agreements forbidding them from publishing what she said.

After the Nottingham Post revealed the alleged gagging attempt, the victims’ furious families sent a ceremonial ailment to the city’s Police and Crime Commissioner, claiming the property briefing successful February was improper and a bid to debar antagonistic headlines.

Last night, the relatives said of the coming probe: “It is nary little than she deserves.”

In a associated statement, they said: “We invited quality that the appalling actions and decisions of Kate Meynell, the Chief Constable of a failing constabulary force, volition beryllium afloat investigated. We judge she chose to clasp a non-reportable media briefing to withhold accusation and shackle the property from reporting further gross actions of her force.”

The families mislaid their loved ones erstwhile paranoid schizophrenic Calocane, 32, went connected a rampage done Nottingham’s streets successful June past year.

He knifed students Barnaby and Grace, some 19, arsenic they returned from a nighttime retired successful the aboriginal hours. He past stabbed schoolhouse caretaker Ian, 65, and stole his van, crashing it into 3 radical who suffered superior injuries.

Nottingham’s Police and Crime Commissioner referred the families’ ailment to the IOPC –which has decided Meynell’s behaviour warrants an autarkic probe seeking to found whether an offence has been committed.

If criminal, it volition beryllium dealt with by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Other outcomes could see
disciplinary proceedings oregon a alteration successful constabulary policy.

It follows calls for Ms Meynell to measurement speech aft it emerged her lad was among officers who exchanged graphic details astir the killings via WhatsApp.

The existent ailment astir the main is 1 of 3 being probed by the IOPC, on with Leicestershire Police, the others covering the force’s erstwhile interaction with Calocane and their handling of the investigation.

Nottinghamshire Police’s engagement is separately being probed by the College of Policing, successful a reappraisal commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner. And probes person been prompted into the NHS implicit alleged failings connected Calocane’s intelligence wellness and the Crown Prosecution Service for its handling of his case, with families complaining of feeling “unsupported”.

In August, the Attorney General and Health Secretary confirmed a nationalist enquiry into the attacks.

The families privation the enquiry to beryllium statutory and judge-led.

Calocane was fixed an indefinite infirmary bid aft admitting manslaughter connected the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The Attorney General deemed the condemnation unduly lenient and tried to person jailed clip included but this was rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Barnaby’s mum, Emma Webber, said: “The agony we are forced to endure is unimaginable. No victims oregon families merit to beryllium treated similar this. Change has to hap – those successful elder roles who grossly fail, prevarication and/or marque mediocre decisions that effect successful catastrophic outcomes indispensable beryllium held accountable.

“Our connection to those individuals successful some constabulary forces and besides the Nottingham Mental Health spot is we volition not halt until this has happened.

“Our superior con-cerns regarding the prime and culpability of reports and investigations mean our telephone for a afloat judge-led statutory nationalist enquiry is the lone imaginable result – without this, the information volition not travel out. We property our authorities to denote erstwhile this volition start. Why can’t those who person not done jobs decently beryllium honorable and instrumentality the consequences?”

Ms Meynell took implicit astatine Nottinghamshire Police successful 2022. The unit declined to comment.

The IOPC said: “We are looking astatine the force’s determination to clasp a non-reportable briefing for media successful February. Our inquiries see assessing the contented of the briefing, the connection of that briefing to the families and whether it was conducted successful enactment with applicable policies and procedures.”