Nottingham attack mum tells of trauma of fighting early release plan

The mother of a man stabbed to death in the Nottingham attacks has cautiously welcomed a change to the early prisoner release scheme which should mean her son's killer will not now qualify.

The plan to ease prison congestion had initially included those convicted of manslaughter but, following a high profile outcry, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said this category of offender had been ruled out .

Barnaby Webber was one of three people killed by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane in 2023. He was subsequently convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Emma Webber said while the change was "the right thing", the families had faced "trauma" to get this point.

The government has been looking for ways to ease pressure in a prison system that is more than 97% full in England and Wales.

Opposition to the early release scheme centred on the family and former colleagues of PC Andrew Harper - who was dragged to his death in 2019 - and the potential release of two of the three people responsible.

But on Saturday more than 30 affected families, including the Webbers, signed a letter to Justice Secretary Alex Norris, which said they felt victims were "being asked to bear the consequences of the prison capacity crisis".

Calocane's manslaughter conviction was controversial for the families who had wanted him tried for murder.

He was sentenced to be detained at a high-security hospital. At the time the judge said it would probably be for the rest of his life.

Reacting to the announcement, Emma Webber said: "I'm glad it has happened, it is the right thing.

"But I'll tell you what wasn't the right thing, the trauma of victims, who have been through so much already, have had to go through to fight for this.

"Petitions, doing news interviews, having to talk about the terrible losses we have suffered and there are dozens of us that have had to do this.

"I try not to be always confrontational and always fighting but as much as I try not to, it seems to be the only way that things are getting done.

"Everything we have done as families in the Nottingham attacks has come at such great cost and yes we are getting results but we shouldn't have had to do any of it at all."

She said the controversy reflected wider problems with funding across the justice system.

"The fact that we were even having to consider releasing people who had taken lives and destroyed families and communities early from their sentences is abhorrent.

"I stand by what I said yesterday - it is morally bankrupt."

She also confirmed after making a call to meet ministers some weeks ago, they had now received an invitation to meet with Justice Secretary Alex Norris, where their concerns would be raised.

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