Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar given posthumous degree awards

They were both killed, alongside Ian Coates, in 2023

2 days ago

Liz Burton | News

Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar have been given posthumous degree awards by the University of Nottingham.

The students, both aged 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, were all killed in June 2023 by Valdo Calocane.

Barnaby was coming to the end of his first year of studying history at the University of Nottingham, and his brother Charlie accepted the honour in his name at a ceremony on Tuesday 29th July.

Before the ceremony Emma Webber, Barnaby’s mother, said to ITV: “I’m so proud of his younger brother Charlie, he is going to go with a few other people to accept it on Barney’s and our behalf.

“I want my boys, both my boys, seen as celebrated rather than associated with the face of a monster as so often happens.”

Mrs Webber also added: “There’s so many awful things that happen and you can forget the humanity behind that.”

“Barnaby made a real difference to people, he really did. And that’s important to be proud of. The people that he did meet and that he knew – he made a difference to their lives.”

Charlie expressed his brother’s love for Nottingham and thanked the university for its continued support.

Grace was honoured during a ceremony at the university Thursday 24th July, and was awarded her medical science BA, collected for her by friend Nicola Fletcher who also gave a speech.

“From a young age, Grace wanted nothing more than to be a doctor, and she was on a path to great success, which we hope you will all achieve in your careers going forward.

“Grace’s other passion, as I’m sure many of you already know, was hockey. This made the University of Nottingham a perfect fit for her; her year at Nottingham was the happiest year of her life.”