The family of a victim of a tragic incident in Nottingham is expressing shock over how the police handled an officer who accessed distressing bodycam footage of their deceased loved one.
Emma Webber, the mother of Barnaby, who was tragically killed by Valdo Calocane, feels deeply let down after discovering that the officer, Ilsadin Skenderaj, was allowed to quietly resign despite being informed that he had been terminated.
Nottingham Police’s deputy chief constable, Steve Cooper, stated that Skenderaj had been dismissed after a misconduct hearing for viewing the footage for policing purposes. This information was reiterated by then-Chief Constable Kate Meynell in a letter to the families of Barnaby and Grace O’Malley Kumar, who were also victims of the same perpetrator.
However, Skenderaj was not actually fired; he voluntarily stepped down in September before the misconduct hearing in December. While off duty at home, Skenderaj watched 12 separate recordings, including footage of paramedics providing medical aid to Barnaby and Grace, both aged 19, and placing them in body bags, even though he was not involved in the case.
Ms. Webber expressed her disappointment, stating, “Nottinghamshire Police completely failed us regarding Special Constable Ilsadin Skenderaj. He viewed detailed footage of my son and his friend being treated in their final moments – the most personal and distressing moments. The chief constable assured us that he had faced disciplinary action and been dismissed.”
“He resigned before facing any real consequences. The extent of his misconduct was concealed from us until the truth was revealed during a public inquiry. It’s devastating that such a breach of trust has gone unpunished,” she added.
Barnaby and Grace, university students, were fatally stabbed by Valdo Calocane while walking home from a night out. Calocane, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, also took the life of school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, and injured pedestrians with his car. He is currently under an indefinite hospital order.
Despite his actions, Skenderaj, who appears to have been involved in property lettings alongside his special constable duties, also viewed footage of Calocane’s arrest and inside an ambulance. However, his devices were not confiscated by the authorities, and he declined a police interview.
While police staff often have access to evidence systems as part of their duties, they are expected to use the information solely for legitimate policing purposes. Special constables, who are part-time and unpaid volunteers, are held to the same standard. An inquiry revealed that Nottinghamshire Police was hesitant to investigate how many times staff inappropriately accessed images and footage from the tragic incident.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police stated, “The officer resigned before a gross misconduct hearing, where he was found guilty in his absence. Had he not resigned, he would have been dismissed. He has also been placed on the police barred list.”