Emma and David, the parents of Barnaby Webber, found themselves in an emotional moment during their first live TV interview since the sentencing of their son’s killer. Barnaby and his friend Grace O’Malley-Kumar lost their lives in Nottingham last June as they were returning home from a night out, while Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, went on to kill Ian Coates as well. Last week, Calocane received an indefinite hospital order for the tragic deaths of Barnaby, Grace, and Ian. Relatives have voiced their criticism of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for accepting Calocane’s guilty pleas to manslaughter.

Emma, who had previously expressed her frustration to the police, reiterated her concerns during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, where she was joined by her husband David. The couple opened up about the heart-wrenching loss of their son and the impact it had on their family. Emma described the sentence as a “huge” insult to their family, given the decision by the CPS to accept a manslaughter plea with diminished responsibility. Speaking to hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley, she expressed, “I can’t believe that we’re this family that has happened to. It shouldn’t happen to any family. It’s still really hard to see his photograph and his face, but we’re here.”

In their extensive interview, Emma and David called for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Calocane’s actions and how he was allowed to commit these tragic acts. They also shared the profound impact of their son Barnaby’s loss on his younger brother, Charlie.

“It’s so hard to see Charlie, Barney’s little brother, and he’s just destroyed. I’m 52-years-old, so I don’t know how much longer I have on the planet, but he’s got a whole lifetime in front of him. I fear for him. He’s such a strong character,” added David. Emma continued, “We talk to him a lot. He’s got the most amazing support network around him at his school and his friends. I have four heroes. Two of them – Barnaby, didn’t stand a chance, he was ambushed by this monster. Grace, tried to save him, and she could have run away, but she didn’t. She’ll forever be my hero for that. Foolish girl, I’m angry and love her at the same time.

“But the other two heroes are James O’Malley Kumar and Charlie Webber. They were brave enough last week to be in court. They were brave enough to do their victim impact statements. It broke my heart when James said, ‘I’m an only child and never wanted to be,’ and when Charlie spoke about walking past Barnaby’s bedroom.”

The couple previously recalled the moment they sensed something was wrong when they heard news reports about an incident in Nottingham. When attempts to reach Barnaby went unanswered, their fears were confirmed when they discovered his phone’s location. Emma recalled the chilling moment, saying, “It sounds ridiculous in my head, but I heard a man and a woman had been killed, and thought it can’t be Barney because it still feels like he’s a child to me. It was a blood-run-cold moment… my instant reaction was ‘why isn’t he answering,’ but then we saw where it [the phone] went and it went to a police station. That is when I knew it was bad,” she said.

David added, “My world just fell apart … I don’t remember too much after that. We were a normal family, just like many up and down the country. Our world changed just like that.”