{"id":568054,"date":"2026-05-05T21:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T21:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568054\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T21:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T21:02:11","slug":"mental-health-staff-who-assessed-triple-killer-valdo-calocane-questioned-at-nottingham-inquiry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568054\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health staff who assessed triple killer Valdo Calocane questioned at Nottingham Inquiry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Claudia Birtles made a referral for a Mental Health Act Assessment on August 31, 2021, describing Calocane as “very unwell and struggling with delusional beliefs and feels there is a conspiracy with police and hospital who have created technology which creates voices”.<\/p>\n

Ms Birtles also noted Calocane had stopped taking his medication, was not willing to discuss anything and was “very suspicious, paranoid and confrontational”.<\/p>\n

Amie Staples then applied for a warrant under Section 135 of the Mental Health Act as she couldn’t locate Calocane. This was granted on the same day.<\/p>\n

Ms Staples also spoke to Calocane’s mother Celeste and her impression was that the family were concerned for him and there had been a change in behaviour.<\/p>\n

She told the inquiry: “My impression was that he’d withdrawn from them a little bit and he\u2019d been reluctant to engage.<\/p>\n

“I also interpreted that as a possible sign that he was deteriorating and perhaps feeling more paranoid.”<\/p>\n

When Ms Staples attended Calocane’s address in September 2021 to conduct the mental health assessment, along with Dr Lomas and Dr Manzar, Calocane noticed them standing outside.<\/p>\n

Although initially “polite”, he then turned violent when he attacked one of the attending police officers, PC Pritchard.<\/p>\n

Ms Staples said: “He was very polite with us throughout the interaction. I didn’t have a sense that he was angry in any way.<\/p>\n

“He just didn’t seemingly accept what we were saying about the need to do an assessment.<\/p>\n

“I had the impression that he was frightened by what we were intending to do with him and that he didn’t really believe we were taking him for an assessment.”<\/p>\n

However, the mental health professional told the inquiry that Calocane felt he had no other option when he attacked PC Pritchard.<\/p>\n

She said: “I think from his perspective, he was fighting against being removed from his home. It was my impression he didn’t want to harm anyone.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think he was wanting to attack anyone. I think he wanted to stay in his home and he felt he had no option.”<\/p>\n

Nick Jones, inquiry counsel, challenged Ms Staples, asking her if her view didn’t underplay the level of violence used by Calocane.<\/p>\n

She said: “I don’t think I’m underplaying the level of violence. It was a really serious attack and it was obviously very distressing for the police.<\/p>\n

“I’m sure it was traumatic for VC, too. It’s one of the most distressing Mental Health Act assessments I’ve ever seen.”<\/p>\n

Following the assessment, Calocane was detained under Section 2, which allows for the compulsory detention of a person in hospital for up to 28 days for assessment and treatment of a mental disorder, which cannot be extended.<\/p>\n

Ms Staples was questioned about whether detention under Section 3 would have been more appropriate.<\/p>\n

This would have allowed detention for up to six months, with further renewals.<\/p>\n

Ms Staples said: “We’re always asked to consider whether or not there are things that need to be assessed, as part of someone’s admission to hospital.<\/p>\n

“Where someone has been out of hospital for a year, seemingly functioning okay, and then concerns have started to arise and it’s clear they may or may not have stopped their treatment, it’s not clear what the future plan is.”<\/p>\n

Ms Staples was also asked if she found it surprising that Calocane didn’t have a community treatment order (CTO).<\/p>\n

She said: “I think with VC it’s more difficult. It’s less common to use a CTO where someone is only on their second episode of psychosis. It tends to be reserved for people with more frequent admissions.”<\/p>\n

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