Prosecutors were right to accept Nottingham killer Waldo Caloocan’s manslaughter charge through a diminished responsibility plea rather than pursue a murder case, the Crown Prosecution Service has found.
In June last year, Caloocan, 32, stabbed to death students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, and the school administrator, 65 Ian Coates.
The Attorney-General ordered an urgent review into the Crown Prosecution Service’s handling of the case after the families of three victims said they were deeply disappointed that prosecutors were not pursuing the murders.
They also believe they were not properly informed before the decision was made.
(Left) Ian Coates, Barnaby Webb, Grace O’Malley-Kumar
In a report released today, the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) said the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to accept Caloocan’s manslaughter charge through a plea of diminished responsibility was correct and served the family well.
However, the report said there was still room for improvement and recommended that the CPS provide written guidance in future to help family liaison officers explain legal concepts to bereaved families.
They also suggested that the use of the word “consultation” when it came to engaging with families in legal decision-making could lead to a general misunderstanding of the CPS’s obligations to the families of the deceased.
This is because the CPS are not obliged to “consult” victims when making decisions under the evidentiary tests of the Crown Prosecutions Code, but rather to “inform” and “explain” their decisions.
Valdo Calocane was walking along Redford Avenue in Nottingham before the attack. Picture: Nottinghamshire Police/PA
Read more from Sky News:
Nottingham attack: Timeline for missed chance to stop killer
Killer’s ‘unduly lenient’ sentence handed to Court of Appeal
“The family of the deceased are understandably finding it difficult to accept the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to accept a charge of manslaughter but not guilty of murder,” the report said.
“Their loved ones were violently murdered by a criminal who knew what he was doing was wrong and intended to kill them.
“The term manslaughter is considered to understate the seriousness of what occurred.”
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