Nottingham attacks: Man believed to be suspect in killings tried to break into residential home

The man believed to be the suspect in the Nottingham killings tried to break into a residential home moments before one of the victims was fatally stabbed.

Sky News has obtained a CCTV image of the suspect as he looked for a way into Seely Hirst House residential home, which houses vulnerable and homeless people in the city.

Tributes pour in for students and caretaker – live updates

Witnesses said the man arrived at the property in Mapperley Road just after 4am. He was seen trying to climb in an open window but the resident woke up and punched him, sending him stumbling back to the ground.

The suspect then looked for another way in but left with a black backpack and headed towards Magdala Road, where school caretaker Ian Coates was found lying dead shortly after.

A 31-year-old man was tasered and arrested on suspicion of murder after 65-year-old Mr Coates and 19-year-old university students Grace Kumar and Barnaby Webber were found dead on Tuesday morning.

Police said the victims had now been formally identified and they all died of knife wounds.

Miss Kumar’s family said “words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation” following her death, while Mr Webber’s relatives called his killing a “senseless murder”.

Meanwhile, the sons of Mr Coates described him as a “massive, massive football fan” and a “great father”, adding that his death had “rocked everyone’s world”.

The two students were found dead in the street in Ilkeston Road just after 4am

Mr Coates was found around two miles away in Magdala Road, with the suspect believed to have stolen his van and driven at pedestrians in Milton Street.

A residential care home resident, who did not want to be identified, said: “He tried to get into my window. Thank god I woke up as I might have been dead.”

Alex Pridmore, a trustee of the residential care home, confirmed the suspect tried to gain entry to the property.

He said: “I’ve no idea why he chose here. He’s never stayed here so he has no links with the residential care home.

“As you can imagine everyone is a bit shaken by what happened. We look after vulnerable people so we’re just relieved that he didn’t gain entry.”

In an update providing a sequence of events of the attacks, Nottinghamshire Police say a call was made at 4.04am and police attended and found the two students in the street unresponsive.

The force said investigations have then revealed that a man matching the description of the suspect had attempted to gain entry to a “supported living complex” in Mapperley Road but had been denied entry. The incident was not reported to police at the time.

Police believe the suspect then attacked a man and stole his van – a call was then received by a member of the public and Mr Coates was found dead.

The force said the stolen van was then used by the suspect to run over three members of the public. Three people were injured in the van attack, with one in a critical condition in hospital and two suffering minor injuries.

Tributes poured in for the victims, with Miss Kumar described as a “talented” hockey star and Mr Webber a “passionate cricketer”.

The family of Miss Kumar, who played for England under-18s hockey team, said: “Grace was an adored daughter and sister; she was a truly wonderful and beautiful young lady.

“Grace was not just a sister to James but his best friend. He is completely heartbroken. As parents, words cannot explain our complete and utter devastation. She will be so dearly missed.

“We were so incredibly proud of Grace’s achievements and what a truly lovely person she was. She was resilient and wise beyond her years.

“Grace was so happy in life fulfilling her ambition of studying to become a doctor whilst playing topflight hockey at university.

“She leaves behind devastated extended family and friends.”

Read more:
What we know so far about Nottingham attacks
Timeline of how ‘major incident’ unfolded

Meanwhile, the family of Mr Webber said “complete devastation is not enough to describe our pain” – labelling his death as a “senseless murder”.

Tributes have also been paid to Mr Coates, who has been described as “a much-loved colleague” by his employer.

Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Kate Meynell said the force was not looking for anyone else in connection with the incidents and no further arrests had been made.

She added that the motive behind the attack was yet to be determined, but officers were keeping an “open mind” and working with counter-terror police.