Nottingham Statutory Public Inquiry: Leila Benyounes instructed on behalf of the Surviving Victims
On 7 November 2025, the preliminary hearing of the Statutory Public Inquiry concerning the Nottingham attacks took place.
On 13 June 2023 Valdo Calocane, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and had had previous interactions with health services and the police, killed three people and seriously injured three other people in Nottingham City Centre.
Leila Benyounes and Colin Mendoza, led by Sophie Cartwright KC, represent the surviving victims and their partners, Wayne Birkett and Tracey Hodgson, and Sharon Miller and Martin Reed, instructed by Greg Almond at Rothera Bray Solicitors in Nottingham. The surviving victims, who have been granted Core Participant status in the Inquiry, have severe life-changing injuries as a result of the attacks.
The Inquiry, chaired by Her Honour Deborah Taylor, will comprehensively examine and evaluate the multi-agency actions taken and decisions made in the care and treatment to Valdo Calocane prior to 13 June 2023, the events of that day, and the investigations undertaken thereafter. It will consider lessons to be learned and what can be done to prevent similar attacks in the future. Hearings will commence in February 2026 from a dedicated hearing centre.
At the preliminary hearing on 7 November 2025, Leila Benyounes successfully made oral submissions on behalf of the surviving victims and their partners, inviting the Chair to permit streaming of evidence via YouTube with a delay.
Allowing the streaming of evidence in this way is intended to allow accessibility of the Inquiry to the wider public, and particularly to the people of Nottingham, where there is a particular importance due to the examination of management by core state agencies in the city.
Read more about the Inquiry on the Inquiry website here: https://nottingham.independent-inquiry.uk, and from the surviving victims here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjnj92dznvo.
Leila Benyounes is Head of the Inquests Team at Parklane Plowden Chambers and is ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners for Inquests and Inquiries and Clinical Negligence. Leila is appointed as an Assistant Coroner in two coronial areas and Leila regularly represents interested persons in a wide range of inquests including Article 2 jury inquests and complex medical matters. She has a special interest in obstetric, birth injury and fatal cases providing representation at inquest and in clinical negligence claims. She has been appointed to the Attorney General Regional Civil Panel Band A since 2010. Her full profile can be accessed here.
