Grace O’Malley-Kumar awarded George Medal for ‘exceptional courage’

A student who was stabbed to death in the Nottingham attacks while trying to protect her friend has been posthumously awarded the George Medal for her “exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger”.

Grace O’Malley-Kumar, 19, was killed when she intervened and sought to try to save Barnaby Webber, also 19, after he was attacked while they walked home from a night-out in 2023.

The Nottingham University medical student is one of 20 people honoured in the latest Gallantry Awards list.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to Grace, saying her legacy would live on as a “powerful example of heroism” and that she made the “ultimate sacrifice” to protect her friend.

Others honoured include Richard O’Brien, who received the King’s Gallantry Medal for stopping his car to intervene in the stabbing of woman and restrain the attacker in Barnet, north London, in 2021.

School support staff receptionist Alicia Richards and youth worker Molly Bulmer have been awarded the King’s Commendation for Bravery for tackling a former student after he embarked on a sustained attack on staff and pupils with pieces of broken glass in Sheffield in 2024.

Sir Keir said: “This is what true courage looks like. In moments of unimaginable danger, these extraordinary people acted with selflessness and bravery that speaks to the very best of who we are as a nation.

“We owe each of them – and their families – our deepest thanks. Their actions remind us of the strength and compassion that run through our communities.

“I want to pay tribute to all of the recipients, including Grace O’Malley-Kumar, who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her friend. Her legacy will live on as a powerful example of heroism.”

Pc Mark Sutton and Pc Thomas Dransfield, meanwhile, received the King’s Commendation for Bravery for rescuing a man to prevent him falling from a bridge in 2023.

Grace and Barnaby were stabbed to death by paranoid schizophrenic Valdo Calocane, who was given an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

Calocane also killed school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, during the attacks in the early hours of June 13 2023 and attempted to kill three others.

The George Medal, which is open to civilians, is awarded for “conspicuous gallantry not in the presence of the enemy”.

Grace’s citation read: “Grace’s exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger serve as an outstanding example of personal bravery.”

It follows a campaign for Grace to be awarded the even more prestigious George Cross, the highest gallantry award given for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy – a drive which was backed last year by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak.

During Calocane’s trial, prosecutor Karim Khalil KC said Grace had shown “incredible bravery” by trying to protect Mr Webber from Calocane’s blows and tried to fight him off, pushing him away and into the road.

The killer then turned his attention to her and was “as uncompromisingly brutal in his assault of Grace as he was in his assault of Barnaby”, Mr Khalil said.

The medal will be presented Grace’s family.

The two friends were poignantly awarded posthumous degrees this summer from the University of Nottingham, where Barnaby was studying history and Grace was a medical student.