Two police officers disciplined over Nottingham attacks WhatsApp message

A gross misconduct hearing has been held at Nottinghamshire Police HQ

Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates
Author: Lynsey BagnallPublished 19th Feb 2024
Last updated 19th Feb 2024

Two Nottinghamshire Police officers have been disciplined over a WhatsApp message about the three fatal stabbings in the city. 32 year old Valdo Calcone killed Grace O'Malley-Kumar, Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates in June last year.

Some of the words used in the message have been described by the families of the victims as 'crude' and 'distasteful'. Deputy Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: “Nottinghamshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) found one message posted on a WhatsApp group and took action immediately." A gross misconduct hearing in January was held in public at Nottinghamshire Police Headquarters. One officer's been given a final written warning while the other is subject to what the force has called 'management intervention'. No other officers were found to have committed misconduct.

In a statement from Nottinghamshire Police DCC Steve Cooper goes on to say, “It is vitally important that the public are made aware of any action by an officer who falls below the extremely high standards we set and that is why these misconduct hearings are held in public. All officers have been reminded of the appropriate use of WhatsApp as a result of this misconduct hearing.”

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