Tributes to students Grace O’Malley Kumar and Barnaby Webber feature on Wednesday’s front pages. The students were killed in Nottingham last summer along with Ian Coates.
Prosecutors accepted a plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility from Valdo Calocane, who stabbed the three to death and attempted to kill another three people.
Today’s news summary – Paper Talk: ‘Grace died protecting her friend’ Nottingham stabbing victims remembered
Several Wednesday newspapers feature the Nottingham stabbings prominently, following a crown court’s acceptance of a manslaughter plea by Valdo Calocane, who killed three people last summer, including two students.
“Why wasn’t he stopped?” questions the Daily Mail’s headline, highlighting a “litany of missed chances” that allowed a man with paranoid schizophrenia to freely move around the city.
The Times reports that a warrant had been issued for a previous offence as Calocane faces life in prison after confessing to the triple stabbing in Nottingham.
The Sun’s headline labels Calocane a “Monster and coward,” emphasising his upcoming sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court later on Wednesday.
The Daily Mirror honours Grace O’Malley-Kumar as a hero, recounting her attempt to protect fellow student Barnaby Webber, who also lost his life. Nottingham Crown Court heard of the university student’s “incredible bravery.”
Daily Express features James O’Malley-Kumar, the brother of O’Malley-Kumar, stating that she sacrificed her life for a friend and describing her “last moments in pain” after trying to save Webber.
‘Blow to UK’s long-term energy plans’
In other news, the Daily Telegraph leads with a warning from the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders, who believes the British Army is too small to confront Russia in a war. The paper notes his call for the government to “mobilise the nation” in case of a conflict, though he does not advocate for conscription.
The Financial Times describes the further delay to the Hinkley C nuclear power plant as a “blow” to the UK’s long-term energy plans. The paper reports that the plant, considered “Britain’s flagship,” is now postponed until at least 2029, with costs reaching £46 billion.
Lastly, the Daily Star features reports from South America claiming a Brazilian woman is demanding the exhumation of footballing icon Pele’s body, who passed away 13 months ago. She asserts that she is Pele’s secret daughter.