The parents of Barnaby Webber, one of the three victims killed in the Nottingham attacks on 13 June 2023, have delivered powerful and emotional testimony at a public inquiry, slamming Nottinghamshire Police for “disgusting and grotesque” WhatsApp messages in which officers described their son’s fatal injuries in crude and dehumanising terms.

Barnaby Webber, a 19-year-old University of Nottingham student and talented cricketer, was walking home with fellow student Grace O’Malley-Kumar in the early hours when they were ambushed and repeatedly stabbed by Valdo Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic who had been known to mental health services. A short time later, 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates was also fatally stabbed. The attacks shocked the nation and raised serious questions about how Calocane was able to slip through systemic cracks despite previous incidents.

At the ongoing Nottingham Inquiry in central London, Barnaby’s mother Emma Webber spoke with raw pain about discovering that police officers had accessed body-worn camera footage and other material from the crime scenes, then shared graphic details in a force WhatsApp group. One message reportedly stated that “a couple of students on Ilkeston Road have been proper butchered” and referred to officers trying to “hold their innards in,” while another spoke of spreading the “big news” in an excited tone ahead of a busy shift.

Emma described reading those words as “so destructive, so destroying, so awful.” She made it clear she does not mind the messages being made public because the officer who wrote them chose to refer to the victims in such a callous way. “That’s disgusting and grotesque,” she told the inquiry. The family has stated they will “never forgive” the police for this additional layer of trauma inflicted on top of their unimaginable grief.

Barnaby’s father David and the wider family have stood alongside Emma as they continue to fight for answers and accountability. The parents have criticised the initial police investigation as “second-rate,” the prosecution as “weak,” and previous reviews as little more than “tick-box exercises and damage limitation dressed up as justice.” Emma has formally complained about the handling of the bodycam footage and called for the matter to be treated as a potential criminal breach.

The inquiry has heard how the WhatsApp comments were not isolated but reflected a desensitised culture that failed to show basic humanity toward the victims. Emma asked pointedly whether the officers paused to consider the absolute terror Barnaby and Grace must have felt in their final moments — ambushed in the shadows, repeatedly stabbed with no chance of survival. She highlighted the agony, the final thoughts, and the permanent destruction of countless lives caused by the attack.

The family’s testimony comes amid broader scrutiny of Nottinghamshire Police’s response to the attacks, including questions about missed opportunities to intervene with Calocane beforehand and the handling of evidence afterward. The parents have repeatedly emphasised that while they understand officers deal with traumatic scenes, there is a clear line between professional coping mechanisms and disrespectful, degrading language that re-victimises grieving families.

Barnaby was remembered as a bright, sporty young man full of life and promise. His death, along with Grace’s and Ian’s, left three families shattered and a community in mourning. Tributes poured in at the time, with flowers, messages, and cricket bats left at the scenes. Barnaby’s family has since campaigned tirelessly for better mental health support, improved risk assessment for those with severe conditions, and greater transparency from authorities.

The inquiry continues to examine not only the circumstances of the attacks but also the wider systemic failures that allowed a dangerous individual to remain at large. Emma Webber’s evidence has been described as powerful and unflinching, forcing a spotlight on how institutions communicate internally about victims and whether proper safeguards exist to prevent such insensitive leaks.

For the Webber family, the pain is compounded daily. They have spoken of the moment they learned of Barnaby’s death, the horror of realising his phone had been moved to a police station via a tracking app, and the ongoing struggle to find any sense of closure. The revelation of the WhatsApp messages has reopened wounds and reinforced their belief that the full truth has not yet been told.

Other families affected by the attacks, including those of Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, have expressed similar frustration with aspects of the police response and investigation. The collective call is for meaningful change rather than superficial reviews — changes that could prevent future tragedies and ensure victims and their loved ones are treated with dignity at every stage.

As the inquiry progresses, attention remains on whether Nottinghamshire Police and other agencies will implement genuine reforms. The Webber family’s courage in speaking out publicly about such private and painful details serves as a reminder of the human cost behind every failure in the system.

No words from officers can ever undo the loss of Barnaby, Grace, and Ian. But the families hope that by demanding accountability — including over these “grotesque” messages — they can help drive improvements that honour the memories of those taken far too soon and protect others from similar heartbreak.

The road to justice and healing remains long, but the parents of Barnaby Webber have made one thing crystal clear: disrespect toward their son and the other victims will not be tolerated in silence.