The son of Ian Coates, a school caretaker stabbed to death during the Nottingham attacks, has told a public inquiry he learned of his father's death through an Instagram message from a family friend.
Valdo Calocane killed 65-year-old Ian Coates, as well as students Barnaby Webber and Grace O'Malley-Kumar, in the early hours of 13 June 2023, according to the BBC.
Ian's sons, James and Lee, stated that despite multiple calls to police for answers, they were not formally told their dad had been killed until about 17:00 BST, shortly before Nottinghamshire Police informed the public in a press conference.
Police Response
Police were at the scene in Magdala Road shortly before 05:40, the inquiry was told. James and Lee said they became aware of something going on through separate work WhatsApp groups.
James said he then learned "somebody had been killed on Magdala Road" near to his home, but it was not until the afternoon when he learned through a message from a family friend on Instagram that his dad had been killed.
Investigation Underway
The Nottingham Inquiry, chaired by retired senior judge Deborah Taylor KC, is being held at Mary Ward House in London and is examining the events that led up to the attacks and the aftermath.
Calocane first brutally stabbed 19-year-old University of Nottingham students Barnaby and Grace at about 04:00 in Ilkeston Road, before walking almost two miles across the city and killing Ian in Magdala Road at 05:14.
Family's Experience
Lee said: "We were calling 101. We were ringing the helpline. I even went to the lengths of ringing 999 to get some information." James told the inquiry police made contact "10 minutes before [then chief constable] Kate Meynell went on TV to do her press conference, to let the city of Nottingham know what had happened".
The inquiry also heard Ian's sons only found out about a vigil, organised by Nottingham City Council, at the Council House in Old Market Square on 16 June from a Sky News journalist.
