Grace O'Malley-Kumar
Died 13 June 2023
Who they were
Grace was studying medicine at the University of Nottingham and had volunteered for the national vaccination programme during the pandemic. A gifted athlete, she played in England's U16 and U18 hockey squads and captained Essex's junior girls' cricket side. Her mother said: "She wanted very few things in life: she wanted to be a doctor, she wanted to play hockey with her pals, she wanted to have fun." In 2025 Grace was posthumously awarded the George Medal for her bravery in trying to defend her friend.
What happened
In the early hours of 13 June 2023, three people were stabbed to death in Nottingham by a man in a severe psychotic episode, who then drove a stolen van into pedestrians. He admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and in January 2024 was ordered to be detained indefinitely in a high-security hospital.
Verdict / confirmation
Nottingham Crown Court, 25 Jan 2024: manslaughter by diminished responsibility (x3) + attempted murder (x3); indefinite hospital order with restrictions. Court of Appeal (May 2024) found it not unduly lenient.
Perpetrator: A 31-year-old born in Guinea-Bissau; dual Bissau-Guinean/Portuguese national who came to the UK in 2007 with his parents (EU settled status).