Call to overhaul murder laws after attacks in Nottingham
THE mother of Nottingham attack victim Barnaby Webber called for an overhaul of the law yesterday saying killers can ‘get away with murder’ if they have mental health issues. Emma Webber backed calls for a new category of ‘second degree murder’ after an official review into the killings by Valdo Calocane recommended the Government should consider ripping up existing laws on homicide.
Mrs Webber said it was ‘abhorters rent’ that a murder charge was not pursued by prosecutors after Calocane went on a stabbing spree in Nottingham last June killing her 19-year- old son, his friend Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65.
Yesterday a review into the case found prosecutors were right to accept a plea of manslaughter by diminished responsibility from the 32-year- old, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
But the report by His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate recommended that minisshould review existing laws so that killers with mental illness can still be convicted of murder.
Currently, killers are prosecuted either for murder or manslaughter. But the review suggested adopting terms similar to those used in America to distinguish between ‘first degree’ and ‘second degree murder’ because ‘the term manslaughter has the perception to underplay the gravity of what has taken place’.
Yesterday, in a joint statement, the three families said: ‘We are disappointed with the outcome of the findings, but sadly not surprised.’
Mrs Webber added: ‘The diminished responsibility charge and plea means murderers will get away with murder. In this country if you commit murder and you have mental health issues, then it is very unlikely you are going to be tried for murder. It is abhorrent it could be downgraded to manslaughter.’
Last November Calocane admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility and pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of three other people he hit with a van.
Calocane was sentenced to a hospital order in January, but the sentence will be reviewed after Attorney General Victoria Prentis said it was unduly lenient.
‘Downgraded to manslaughter’