The Nottingham Inquiry has heard that a constable accessed ‘distressing’ footage after Nottingham attacks
The hearing is looking into the circumstances surrounding the killings of Ian Coates,Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar in June 2023.
A special constable inappropriately viewed graphic and distressing images of two students killed by Valdo Calocane, including footage of their bodies being placed into body bags, a public inquiry has heard.
Sc Ilsadin Skenderaj is the only police officer or member of staff known to have accessed footage linked to the Nottingham attacks that they should not have viewed, the inquiry was told on Tuesday.
The hearing is examining the circumstances surrounding the killings of Ian Coates, 65, and University of Nottingham undergraduates Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, in the early hours of June 13 2023.
During evidence from the head of Nottinghamshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD), Superintendent Kathryn Craner, counsel to the inquiry Alex Ivory said Skenderaj had self-reported that he had viewed footage in September 2023.
Mr Ivory said Skenderaj was found to have viewed 12 separate recordings, including Calocane’s arrest, and had “offensively and hurtfully” viewed footage filmed within an ambulance.
The footage showed officers and paramedics providing medical assistance to Mr Webber and Ms O’Malley-Kumar, and placing both in body bags.
After agreeing that the volunteer officer, who appeared to have no involvement in the inquiry into the attacks, had viewed “extremely distressing, graphic” footage, Ms Craner said: “It certainly indicates that we should explore whether there is more that we should do at different points in an investigation to restrict access (to computer systems).”
She said she did not believe devices owned by Skenderaj had been seized and that he was “offered an interview but declined”.
The inquiry has heard that Skenderaj resigned from Nottinghamshire Police after viewing images related to the attacks while at his home, with no policing purpose.
Skenderaj is believed to be the only officer who self-reported after accessing material inappropriately, the inquiry heard.
A Nottinghamshire Police constable was also disciplined in January 2024 after breaching policing standards by accessing information about Calocane and sending a “degrading” WhatsApp message described as lacking any empathy in its description of victims’ injuries.
Emails read to the inquiry on Tuesday included one from a PDS officer who said: “If we start looking, there will be countless officers that have looked without a policing purpose.”
The email, sent by a detective sergeant, suggested that one option would be to undertake system audits, which a more senior officer rejected, saying it would be a “massive” task.
Mr Webber’s mother, Emma Webber, last month called for access to footage without a policing purpose to be considered a criminal matter and “for all these matters to be fully reopened and properly investigated”.
During her evidence to the inquiry, Ms Craner was asked if an audit of who accessed the footage had begun last month as a result of a complaint.
Ms Craner said: “It hasn’t yet commenced but certainly the decision has been made.
“The direction that I was given was that we wouldn’t conduct that audit ourselves.”
Ms Craner was asked why it had taken until March this year to decide to conduct an audit, when Nottinghamshire Police had known since September 2023 that a special constable had watched video from the attacks without a legitimate purpose.
She said: “In hindsight what I should have done is approach my line manager to ask for resource to undertake that audit.”
Mr Ivory added: “The inevitable result is that until this audit is completed and any requisite disciplinary action taken, there could be officers or police staff who viewed this footage illegitimately still serving couldn’t there?”
Ms Craner answered: “Yes.”
Inquiry chairwoman Deborah Taylor asked Ms Craner if it would be possible for permission to be given to a senior investigating officer so “only those who needed to could have access to the most sensitive material”.
Ms Taylor also said that sensitive material seemed to be “something that people feel that they have, in a sense, a right to view because of curiosity.”
Ms Craner replied: “I think a small number of people have been shown to do that.”
Ms Taylor interjected: “I suppose we’ll see with the audit won’t we, how small that is.”
Calocane, who admitted manslaughter and three counts of attempted murder, is detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital, after prosecutors accepted his not guilty pleas to murder, at his sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court in January 2024.
The inquiry continues.