Around 600 people gathered for the funeral of Barnaby Webber (Picture : SWNS/PA)
Hundreds of people have gathered to remember one of the students killed in the Nottingham attacks.
Around 600 people gathered in Taunton Minster in Taunton, Somerset, to pay tribute to Barnaby Webber, 19, who died after being attacked in Nottingham on June 13.
Among the congregation were many of his friends from Taunton School, Bishop Hull Cricket Club and the University of Nottingham.
The cricket clubs formed a guard of honour as mourners entered the church, with two teammates paying tribute to their ‘best mate’ who ‘they will enver step onto the pitch with again’.
In her eulogy, Barnaby’s mum, Emma Webber, promised her son would not ‘be lost in vain’, saying there needed changes to stop ‘anything like this happening again’.
Also attending were the family of Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, who died alongside Mr Webber.
Both Ms O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, 65, who also died, were also remembered at the service.
Their photographs were on display at the entrance to the church, alongside a hockey stick and ball and Nottingham Forest scarf, to remember their love of their respective sports.
Mourners arrive for the funeral of Barnaby Webber at Taunton Minster in Taunton, Somerset (Picture: PA)
Photographs of Barnaby and his family were displayed on the screen (Picture: SWNS)
Barnaby’s cricket club paid tribute to their team mate (Picture: SWNS)
Mr Webber’s wicker coffin was brought into the church to music by Annie Lennox, with her song Into The West.
The service was led by the Right Reverend Ruth Worsley, the Bishop of Taunton.
The minister choir sang Amazing Grace before mourners heard tributes from Mr Webber’s former teachers and friends at Taunton School and university colleagues.
Barnaby’s mum, Emma Webber, said at a vigil her son will ‘not be defined by his senseless murder’.
She also called the killer an ‘evil, monstrous person who will face retribution’.
The 19-year-old was killed after a night out in Nottingham in June (Picture: PA)
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A man, identified as Valdo Calocane, appeared in court charged with the murders of the three victims.
A university brochure listed him as a student in mechanical engineering who had graduated in 2022, the Daily Mail reported.
He as also charged with three counts of attempted murder after a van was used to drive into three people.
Grace O’Malley Kumar who was killed along with Barnaby Webber and Ian Coates(Picture: PA)
When asked to identify himself at the start of the hearing, the defendant replied ‘my name is Adam Mendes’.
Judge Nirmal Shant KC adjourned proceedings until a plea and trial preparation hearing on September 25 at the same court and thanked the families of the victims for their ‘upmost restraint’.
Judge Shant set a provisional trial date of January 12 2024 and remanded Calocane into custody.
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Around 600 people gathered to remember Barnaby Webber.
