Attacks victim's dad calls for new watchdog probe

The father of a student stabbed to death by triple killer Valdo Calocane has called for a new investigation into a former police chief by the police watchdog.

It comes as the director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) admitted to the Nottingham Inquiry it had "let down" the bereaved families of the June 2023 Nottingham attacks.

The IOPC launched five investigations into police forces after Calocane killed Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar, and Ian Coates, the inquiry heard on Wednesday.

IOPC boss Rachel Watson said her in evidence it was still awaiting statements from Nottinghamshire Police's former Chief Constable Kate Meynell, prompting a fresh complaint.

Following the attacks, revelations about the killer's history with the police and actions taken by the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire forces led to a number of referrals and complaints to the policing watchdog.

The Nottingham Inquiry, being held in London, heard subsequent investigations were "too slow" and the families did not receive the service they should have.

Watson told the inquiry Meynell - who retired from the force following a cancer diagnosis - was unable to give statements for "quite a period of time" due to her health.

When she was well enough, Meynell focused on her evidence for the ongoing inquiry, the hearing was told.

Grace's father, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, said he was "very sympathetic" regarding Meynell's health, but in a complaint to the IOPC on Wednesday, he raised concerns about how the former chief had time to put herself forward for a new job at the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) - a collaborative regional police unit.

In her statement to the inquiry, Meynell wrote that she was due to start a new role as head of the regional review unit at EMSOU on 6 April.

However, EMSOU confirmed on Tuesday that she had since turned the job down.

EMSOU said the role was advertised between 16 October and 6 November 2025, followed by a "standard application and recruitment process", and Meynell was interviewed for the role on 6 January.

Meynell announced her intention to retire in October 2025, and remained absent from work, officially retiring in March this year.

Sanjoy told the BBC: "Whilst we're very sympathetic about Kate Meynell's illness, I think to have time to apply for a job, to go through the lengthy process of being appointed - I'd quite like to know who was on that appointment panel.

"Did they know there was an IOPC outstanding complaint while she applied, and also, why there wasn't time to actually supply statements?"

A spokesperson for the IOPC said: "We've received complaints today which we are considering, and we will be responding to the complainant regarding the next steps."

Five investigations were launched in response to the complaints and referrals received between the day after the attacks and late 2024.

• Operation Gosemore - An investigation into Nottinghamshire Police's contact with the white van Calocane was driving before he knocked down Sharon Miller and Marcin Gawronski, who both survived.
• Operation Astwell - A "broad-ranging" investigation into the actions and response by police in relation to Calocane before, during and after 13 June, which involves all police forces that had contact with the killer in the lead-up to the attacks.
• Operation Longdale - An investigation into the actions of Nottinghamshire Police regarding a non-reportable media briefing on 22 February 2024 following Calocane's conviction.
• Operation Copthorne - An investigation following complaints against the then Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Kate Meynell, by the families of Calocane's victims, which was first raised in 26 March 2024.
• Operation Penhallow - An investigation into the conduct of three Leicestershire Police officers in relation to their investigation of Calocane's assault on warehouse workers on 5 May 2023, months before the attacks.

Watson said: "I am very clear the investigations should have - I wished they had - happened and taken place a lot more quickly.

"They have been too slow."

The watchdog is considering whether or not to reopen Operation Gosemore after calls by the families of the survivors.

Further complaints were also received in relation to Operation Astwell regarding its terms of reference.

Watson said: "The original terms of reference had been drafted too broadly and more broadly than the IOPC would be able to add value to.

"Again, I should say, the families have not received the service they deserve by the IOPC, I've been very clear on that from the outset, and this is one of the examples where the IOPC clearly let them down."

She said the right team was now in place and investigation was moving "at pace".

The hearing was also told a former head of communications for the IOPC wrongly advised Nottinghamshire Police about the force's non-reportable media briefing, held in June 2024.

Local news website, NottinghamshireLive, eventually published details of that briefing, prompting a complaint by the force to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). That complaint was not upheld.

The force did not tell the IOPC about the briefing initially, but later the former head of communications told the force he thought it was "appropriate" for police to complain to the press regulator.

"We have no place in advising forces in that way on how to handle media and because of that, we realised that it would doubtlessly make the families even less confident in us," Watson said.

The IOPC also made "clear mistakes" in the initial investigation into Leicestershire Police, the inquiry heard.

Operation Penhallow initially found there was "no learning" to be had in relation to Calocane's assault on warehouse workers.

At the time of the assault, weeks before the deadly attacks in Nottingham, an arrest warrant for Calocane was outstanding.

The officers who investigated the warehouse assaults claimed to not have seen the warrant earlier in the inquiry.

The matter was going to be dealt with through a misconduct hearing, but at the "eleventh hour", that hearing was adjourned and the investigation was reopened after calls by the bereaved families.

A report was commissioned by a senior IOPC investigator into what went wrong.

Separately, there is an investigation into IOPC staff being undertaken by an external investigator over allegations of "inappropriate assurances provided by IOPC staff".

Watson said in interviewing the officers as part of Operation Penhallow, the investigator "made remarks that were clearly intended, or came across, too friendly and came across as almost apologetic".

She added the families were concerned that it did not give them assurance police were being held to account in a "fair and impartial way".

That independent investigation is partially completed, the inquiry heard.

Watson also told the inquiry the police watchdog was still awaiting statement from former Chief Constable Meynell in relation to two of the investigations.

She added "fresh evidence had come to light as part of the inquiry".

Calocane - who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia - is currently serving an indefinite hospital order after pleading guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and to attempted murder.

The inquiry continues.

Additional reporting by Emily Williamson.

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