Partner of Nottingham Attack Victim Describes Police Misinformation as 'Killed Twice'
The partner of a man killed in the Nottingham attacks has told a public inquiry that police misinformation made her feel like he had been killed twice. Elaine Newton revealed that officers first informed her that her long-term partner, caretaker Ian Coates, died in a road traffic accident, only to later correct this to a fatal stabbing.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Ian Coates, 65, was fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane on June 13, 2023, more than an hour after undergraduates Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, both 19, were killed. Calocane, a paranoid schizophrenic, later stole Mr. Coates' van and ran over three pedestrians, seriously injuring them. He admitted to manslaughter and attempted murder, resulting in indefinite detention at a high-security hospital.
Elaine Newton's Harrowing Experience
Ms. Newton testified that when police initially contacted her, she was in denial, insisting, "He's at work, it's not Ian." It took four hours before she was told the truth. She recounted how police liaison officers asked her what she knew, and she responded that he died in a road accident. "They looked shocked on their faces and said 'You've got the wrong information, you've been told the wrong information. Ian's been killed and he's been stabbed'," she told the inquiry.
Describing the emotional impact, Ms. Newton said, "It felt like he'd been killed twice. It wasn't right. The first information, I accepted, but the second I couldn't accept. You don't know which one was true, or have they got the wrong person. It was not right, it was a mess."
Family's Struggle for Information
Mr. Coates' son, James Coates, shared that he learned of his father's death through an Instagram message from a family friend, initially thinking it was a hoax. Despite being aware of police cordons and a killing on Magdala Road near his home, he had no idea it involved his father. "It wasn't until 3pm that I was walking up the road to my house that I decided to check Instagram," he said, describing the frantic messages and disbelief.
James added that the family only received a call from Nottinghamshire Police ten minutes before a press conference by former chief constable Kate Meynell. By then, they had pieced together details from social media and news reports. "Police logs showed my number was available to police at 12 minutes to eight in the morning and we didn't get a call back until around 5pm, [which] is disgusting for me," he stated.
Feelings of Abandonment
James and his brother, Lee Coates, expressed feeling "abandoned and overwhelmed" by the lack of timely information. They believed they were treated as an "afterthought" during vigils arranged in the city, highlighting systemic failures in communication and support for victims' families.
This inquiry underscores the profound trauma caused by misinformation and delays in critical situations, calling for improved protocols in handling such tragic events.
