THREE PENSIONERS KILLED HOURS APART AFTER MAN WAS RELEASED FROM POLICE CUSTODY, INQUEST HEARS

Three elderly men were killed in their own homes within just three hours of one another after a man showing increasingly disturbed and aggressive behaviour was released from police custody, a new inquest has heard.

Anthony “Tony” Payne, 80, was attacked with a hammer, while identical twins Dick and Roger Carter, both 84, were beaten to death with a shovel in Exeter, Devon, on February 10, 2019.

The attacks happened at two homes around a mile and a half apart.

More than seven years later, a joint inquest has reopened questions about what happened in the hours before the killings — including whether more could have been done to respond to Alexander Lewis-Ranwell’s deteriorating mental state.

HE HAD ALREADY BEEN ARRESTED TWICE

Senior Coroner Philip Spinney told the jury that Lewis-Ranwell had been arrested twice in the 24 hours before the pensioners were killed.

His first arrest followed an alleged attempted burglary at a farm.

Around seven hours later, he was arrested again after allegedly attacking an elderly farmer, John Ellis, with a saw.

The inquest heard that Lewis-Ranwell’s behaviour while in custody was highly concerning.

After being taken to Barnstaple police station, he allegedly grabbed an officer’s Taser and attempted to pull it from its holster.

He was restrained and searched before being placed in a cell.

The coroner said Lewis-Ranwell subsequently had to be moved between three separate cells after damaging them.

He was also described as spitting, punching the cell hatch and displaying aggression toward officers.

Police officers reportedly described his behaviour as “disturbed and aggressive.”

MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS BEFORE HIS RELEASE

The inquest is examining Lewis-Ranwell’s contact with police and several health professionals during the 40 hours before the three killings.

He was seen by a force medical examiner while in custody.

However, a full assessment under the Mental Health Act was not recommended at that stage.

The inquest heard that he was expected to be seen by a mental health nurse the following morning.

That meeting did not take place before he was released.

Lewis-Ranwell was released from Barnstaple police station at around 9.32am on February 10, 2019, according to evidence from the original trial.

He then travelled to Exeter.

Hours later, three pensioners were dead.

THREE ATTACKS IN THREE HOURS

Anthony Payne was the first victim.

Lewis-Ranwell entered Mr Payne’s home on Bonhay Road and attacked him with a hammer.

He then went to the home of identical brothers Dick and Roger Carter on Cowick Lane.

The twins were attacked with a shovel.

The three men were killed within approximately three hours, in attacks occurring less than two miles apart.

The following day, Lewis-Ranwell was arrested for a third time after an incident at a hotel in Exeter involving allegations of affray and possession of an offensive weapon.

It was then that his mental state received further attention.

A Mental Health Act assessment concluded that he was acutely psychotic, the inquest heard.

At that point, investigators had not yet established that he was responsible for the deaths of Payne and the Carter brothers.

He was later identified as the suspect and arrested in hospital.

FOUND NOT GUILTY OF MURDER BY REASON OF INSANITY

Lewis-Ranwell was subsequently tried over the three deaths.

In December 2019, a jury found him not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.

Three psychiatrists agreed that he was suffering from severe mental illness at the time of the attacks.

During the trial, the court heard that he had been experiencing paranoid delusions, including beliefs that he was on a mission to rescue young girls from a supposed paedophile network.

He was subsequently detained indefinitely in a psychiatric unit.

The jury at that trial also raised concerns about the mental-health services and care surrounding Lewis-Ranwell before the killings.

FAMILIES REMEMBER THE THREE MEN

The new inquest has also heard deeply personal tributes from the families of the victims.

Dick and Roger Carter had spent virtually their entire lives together.

Their niece Amanda Taylor told the inquest that the brothers had lived in the family home built by their father and worked in the family mushroom-growing business.

She described them as gentle and considerate men who remained closely involved with their wider family.

Their bond, she said, had been constant throughout their lives.

The family said they could not imagine how terrible the brothers’ final moments must have been.

‘A QUIET AND PRIVATE LIFE’

Anthony Payne’s niece Caroline Gillespie described Tony as an animal lover who enjoyed working on his allotment.

She said he had built a peaceful life around simple pleasures and activities that allowed him to enjoy his own space.

At the time of his death, he was living with a friend but regularly returned to his own home to feed his cats.

It was while he was at that property on Bonhay Road that he was killed.

His family said his sudden death was completely at odds with the quiet and private life he had created.

INQUEST EXAMINES WHETHER THE TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED

The central question now being examined is not whether Lewis-Ranwell was responsible for the three deaths — that was established during the 2019 criminal proceedings.

Instead, the inquest is examining the circumstances surrounding the men’s deaths and the actions of the agencies that had contact with Lewis-Ranwell before the attacks.

Those agencies include Devon and Cornwall Police, G4S Health Services, Devon County Council and Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

The hearing is expected to examine how information about Lewis-Ranwell’s behaviour was assessed and shared, how his mental health was considered, and what happened during his periods in police custody.

Lewis-Ranwell is listed as an “interested person” in the inquests but is not taking part and is not legally represented.

The joint inquest is expected to continue until October 23, 2026.

More than seven years after the deaths of Tony Payne, Dick Carter and Roger Carter, their families are now hoping the proceedings will provide answers about the events that preceded the attacks — and whether anything could have been done differently before the three men lost their lives.