Valdo Calocane, known in court as Adam Mendes, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to “serious” mental illness. The shocking revelation unfolded at Nottingham Crown Court, where Prosecutor Karim Khalil KC informed the court about the acceptance of the pleas for the deaths of university students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65.

Calocane, 32, previously known as Adam Mendes, had already pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charges at an earlier hearing. The families of the victims, including university students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, and caretaker Ian Coates, were consulted before this decision was made.

The tragic events occurred on June 13, 2023, when the two students were fatally stabbed on Ilkeston Road, Radford, and Ian Coates was found dead on Magdala Road, Mapperley. Calocane then allegedly used Mr. Coates’ van to drive into pedestrians, attempting to murder three individuals.

The court heard harrowing details of the attacks, including Grace O’Malley-Kumar’s incredible bravery in trying to fend off her attacker and defend her friend Barnaby. The grieving families expressed their devastation, describing the victims as young individuals with promising futures.

The defendant, currently of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of murder outside a convenience store in Bentinck Road, Forest Fields. Calocane’s barrister, Peter Joyce KC, stated that the defendant acknowledges the physical facts of the prosecution’s case but underlines his extreme mental illness at the time of the incident.

With the acceptance of the manslaughter pleas, Calocane will not face trial for murder. The sentencing hearing, expected to last around two days, will determine the consequences for the defendant, shedding light on a tragedy that rocked the University of Nottingham and prompted widespread community vigils to remember the victims.