Nottingham attack: Barnaby Webber’s family pay tribute to uni student as hundreds gather for funeral

Family and friends have shared tributes to Nottingham attack victim Barnaby Webber during his funeral today. Hundreds of mourners have gathered at Taunton Minster in Taunton, Somerset to pay tribute to the 19-year-old who died after being stabbed on 13 June.

Barnaby died alongside fellow Nottingham University student Grace O’Malley-Kumar, also 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 61, in a violent knife attack in the early hours. In the congregation were many friends of Barnaby, as well as Grace’s family.

The 19-year-old, originally from Taunton, was a first year history student at Nottingham University and was described by his family as a “beautiful, brilliant, bright young man”. An inquest into the deaths opened last Friday, 7 July, which heard that all three victims died as a result of stab wounds.

A private family-only ceremony was to take place following the service, which comes after a vigil was held earlier this month at Barnaby’s home cricket club in Somerset. The university student’s family have paid tribute to him during a public ceremony that took place this morning.

Barnaby’s brother Charlie called his older brother his “hero” before saying: “When we were younger, you were always the person I went to if I was scared of something or had a tough decision to make."

The student’s father David thanked those who attended the service for “paying tribute to our beautiful boy”. David also shared some memories of his son before saying: “"I’d like everyone to maybe think about how we act in our day-to-day lives, and be a little bit more patient and caring with others. Maybe, be a little bit more Barney."

The families of Barnaby and Grace shared yesterday that they intend to create a foundation in memory of the late teenagers. A GoFundMe was shared last week to support the foundation in Barnaby’s memory has already raised £12,000, quickly surpassing the initial goal of £5,300.

A separate fundraiser set up in memory of the third victim Ian Coates, has also raised over £28,000.

31-year-old, Valdo Calocane has been charged with the murder of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and school caretaker Ian Coates following the knife attack on Ilkeston Road in Nottingham. He has also been charged with the attempted murder of three pedestrians by driving a van into them in the city centre.