HEROIC Grace O’Malley-Kumar should get a posthumous George Cross, a former senior Met cop said earlier today.
Grace, who gave her life to try to save pal Barnaby Webber, merits the non-military version of the Victoria Cross, said ex-Chief Supt Dal Babu.
The pair, both 19, were killed by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, 32, in Nottingham last June before he also took the life of caretaker Ian Coates, 65.
Judge Mr Justice Turner hailed Grace’s “astonishing bravery” as he sentenced Calocane, who admitted manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, to indefinite detention in a high-security hospital.
Mr Babu said: “Grace tried to save Barnaby.
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“We should be looking at some sort of George Cross medal.”
He also blasted Notts’ top cop, Kate Meynell, for hiding over the case after it emerged Calocane could have been arrested earlier.
He said: “You’d have thought the Chief Constable would have made herself available over this.”
The Attorney General is to review if Calocane’s sentence was unduly lenient after the victims’ families said they were “railroaded” into accepting the manslaughter plea.
He could be eligible for release in three years under the terms of the hospital order imposed.
Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer today said the families of Calocane’s victims are owed a public inquiry into the circumstances that led to the deaths.
