Testimony of Elias Calocane Regarding Valdo Calocane's Mental Health
Introduction
The Nottingham Inquiry has heard evidence from Elias Calocane about the behavior and mental state of his brother, Valdo Calocane, before the attacks in June 2023.
Main Body
The testimony focused on messages sent by Valdo Calocane in 2020. Elias Calocane asserted that messages mentioning 'red rum' and a desire to 'hurt permanently' showed that his brother wanted to commit suicide rather than kill others. He emphasized that his brother was not violent in the past and argued that the messages expressed deep sadness and a feeling of being watched. However, lawyers for the victims disagreed, suggesting that Elias was ignoring the clear aggression in the texts. Regarding medical care, Elias testified that he had created a detailed record of his brother's history since 2017 for doctors to use. He claimed that mental health professionals did not use this information. Furthermore, he stated that he did not know Valdo had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020 until October 2023. This lack of communication caused visible disagreement among the families of the victims. Finally, the inquiry looked at the events just before the attacks. Valdo contacted Elias on June 12 and again on the morning of June 13, 2023. During the last call, Valdo said that something had 'already been done.' Elias maintained that he thought this meant his brother had committed suicide. Consequently, lawyers for the survivors argued that this was a critical moment where calling emergency services could have prevented the final death.
Conclusion
The inquiry is continuing to investigate the family and systemic factors that led to the attacks in Nottingham.
Learning
⚡ The 'Nuance Shift': Moving from A2 Facts to B2 Arguments
At an A2 level, you describe what happened. At a B2 level, you describe how people interpret what happened. This text is perfect for this transition because it isn't just about a story; it's about a disagreement over meaning.
🗝️ The Logic of 'Assertion' vs. 'Suggestion'
Look at how the writer describes the different viewpoints. They don't just say "Elias said... and the lawyers said..." They use specific verbs to show the strength of the claim:
- Asserted / Maintained: (Strong/Firm) "Elias asserted that..." He is stating this as a fact he believes strongly.
- Suggested / Argued: (Interpretive/Analytical) "Lawyers... suggesting that..." They are presenting a different theory based on evidence.
B2 Tip: To sound more fluent, stop using "say" for everything. Use assert when someone is confident and suggest when someone is making a guess based on evidence.
🛠️ The Connectivity Tool: "Consequently"
In A2, we use "so" to show a result. In B2, we use Consequently to create a formal, logical link between a cause and a result.
Example from text: "Valdo said something had already been done... Consequently, lawyers... argued that this was a critical moment."
The Formula: .
🧠 Vocabulary Upgrade: The 'Mental State' Cluster
Instead of simple words like "sad" or "crazy," the text uses professional, precise terms. Moving to B2 requires replacing generic adjectives with specific ones:
| A2 (Basic) | B2 (Precise) | Context in Text |
|---|---|---|
| Very sad | Deep sadness | Expressing emotional weight |
| Not nice/mean | Aggression | Describing the nature of the texts |
| A problem | Systemic factors | Problems within a whole system (like healthcare) |