Sanders told the inquiry how on 16 June, while being close to the point of charging Calocane, he had received a call about “stories that were going to appear in the press that were going to undermine the investigation”.
The force had been contacted by the press about wanting to run an “inaccurate story” about an outstanding warrant for Calocane’s arrest, the hearing was told.
Earlier, the inquiry heard how that warrant was issued when Calocane failed to appear in court in September 2022, after assaulting a police officer a year earlier.
Sanders claimed he could not remember the details of the story he was warned about.
In a decision log, shown to the inquiry, Sanders recorded the need to liaise with the head of corporate communications, Matthew Jarram, to “ascertain what covenants can be imposed on the press”.
To impose a charge, police needed authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), however, the inquiry heard Sanders authorised the charge before getting written confirmation from the CPS.
Tim Moloney KC, representing the bereaved families, asked Sanders: “Are you sure that you didn’t charge to shut down the stories of police failings around the warrant and police investigations?”
Sanders replied: “Absolutely not.”
The inquiry was also told of concerns from within Nottinghamshire Police about internal leaks to the press, which were investigated by the force’s professional standards department.
The inquiry heard Sanders had noted that a coordinated media release, with families affected, would be required, adding it could have a “significant impact on the reputation of the constabulary”.