She'd never leave a pal

BRAVE Grace O’Malley-Kumar could have fled when Valdo Calocane pulled out a terrifying double-edged combat knife and attacked her friend. 

- MARTIN FRICKER

But instead of running for her life, Grace tackled the knifeman, suffering defensive wounds to her arms and hands as she tried to stop Calocane stabbing Barnaby Webber.

A court heard yesterday how she tried to fight off Calocane, pushing him away and into the road before he also began to stab her.

Grace and Barnaby, both 19 and students at the University of Nottingham, were stabbed to death in the city as they walked home at 4am last June after a night out.

Grace's brother James, 17, wearing his sister's earring in her memory, told Sky News: "She tried her best to save her friend. That's how Grace lost her life.

"She would never leave a friend. That was very evident from her last moments. She passed fighting."

Her mum Sinead O'Malley said: "The revolting cowardice of her killer compared to the heroism of our Gracie is incomparable. She always stood up for her friends and she paid the ultimate price with her life. She was clearly brave beyond words.

Grace's dad Dr Sanjoy Kumar said: "She would never leave a friend in adversity. It was not in her nature. She heroically and valiantly fought."

Paranoid schizophrenic Calocane had stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication and Dr Kumar told ITV News: "I think there were gaps in treatment and I'm sure that should the gaps not have been there this could have been prevented."

Calocane, 32, wearing a black suit, shirt and tie, and flanked by security officers and hospital staff, was in the dock at Nottingham crown court for yesterday's sentencing hearing.

He admitted killing Grace and Barnaby, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, who he knifed to death before stealing his van. He then drove into Nottingham city centre, twice careering into pedestrians.