Nottingham victim's mum 'burst into tears' when told killer's sentence being reviewed

Nottingham victim’s mum ‘burst into tears’ when told killer’s sentence being reviewed

The mother of Nottingham attack victim Barnaby Webber says she burst into tears when she found out the sentence given to her son’s killer was being reviewed.

Emma Webber spoke to Sky News after the attorney general referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal amid concerns it was unduly lenient.

Valdo Calocane was detained at a high-security hospital for last summer’s killing of students Mr Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, and school caretaker Ian Coates.

Prosecutors accepted his manslaughter plea – and did not pursue a murder trial – due to Calocane’s history of paranoid schizophrenia.

The families condemned the sentence and said they were blindsided by the decision not to pursue a murder conviction.

Mr Webber’s family previously called it a “huge insult” and called for a public inquiry.

However, Attorney General Victoria Prentis has now told the families it will be for the Court of Appeal to decide if the sentence was too lenient.

Emma Webber told Sky News: “I think I was feeling so dejected and let down by the justice system in the country, particularly with our case, that I wasn’t expecting that news.

“And to hear it, I burst into tears, which is probably why I’m still looking a bit red-eyed now.”

She said she was pleased the sentence could be toughened, but that it was the “beginning of quite a long process for us because there’s obviously other investigations going on”.

One of those investigations is a review into the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to accept the manslaughter plea and whether it sufficiently consulted with the families.

The full interview with Emma Webber will be on The UK Tonight With Sarah Jane Mee this evening on Sky News at 8pm

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