The mother of murdered Nottingham student Barnaby Webber has lambasted the decision to allow violent prisoners to claim benefits, as it has been revealed that Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane is among those prisoners.
The Telegraph put in a Freedom of Information request at the hospital holding Calocane, which is also the same institution which held Ian Brady, the Moors murderer.
The hospital claimed it is "standard practice for criminals like Calocane" to get benefits because they "had not been handed prison sentences" and instead were "treated as patients because of their mental disorder".
In line with the latest Universal Credit figures, prisoners could be claiming, over the course of 20 years, a total sum of £93,000.
Emma Webber says it is 'sickening' to learn that Calocane is eligible for benefits from his hospital
GB News
Discussing the revelation on GB News, Barnaby Webber's mother Emma was outraged and said it was "sickening" that someone such as Calocane could claim such benefits.
When asked by host Camilla Tominey how she and the Webber family are coping following Barnaby's death, she admitted she is "hanging on by her fingernails".
Webber told GB News: "I honestly hanging on by my fingernails. I always say that, but it's true. We're in a situation we should never be in. It's just heinous, it's just horrific.
"We're trying our best. We shouldn't be here, but we are. But because we're being listened to I feel grateful, for people like you inviting us on, because we have to be heard, because this is so wrong."
Valdo Calocane was given an indefinite hospital order in January after pleading guilty to manslaughter
GB News
When asked for Webber's reaction to the information into Calocane's opportunity to claim benefits, she admitted that the word "perverse", which Camilla used to describe the revelation, is "perfect".
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Webber fumed: "I think the word perverse is is perfect. It sickens me. It sickens every family member that's had their lives shattered by Calocane.
"He's a murderer - we've been very public with our criticism of the way he was treated prior to the arrest, prior to the attacks. And the fact that this individual is treated as a patient, he's not treated as a murderer."
In further criticism of the handling of Calocane's conviction and sentencing, Webber added: "There's no punishment, there's no penal element to anything. And on top of that, he's costing us as taxpayers best part of £400,000 a year to keep him in his secure unit.
"And then on top of that, he's getting thousands of pounds a year in benefits that he's entitled to. Whereas we as families aren't entitled to anything. We are not entitled to more than 12 paid for therapy sessions by the Victim Support Service that's funded by the Ministry of Justice. I think it says it all. Something is really wrong here, and it needs addressing."
Emma Webber says the victim's families 'will not stop' until there is a change in the law
GB News
Detailing what action the Webber family and the other families of Calocane's victims want the government to do to stop prisoners like him receiving benefits, Webber noted there have been "many failings" from the government and they are "not going to stop" until some form of law change is in place.
Webber told Camilla: "This isn't news to us, we've known this for months and we've questioned and had evasive answers from the government. I wouldn't even really know how to begin with all the failings that there have been.
"I think the we're heartened by the fact that it's been raised and that there's public concern about it, there's governmental concern about it. We're not going to stop.
"I really hope maybe we are the case that changes the law, so that other families don't have to go through this devastation."