Frenzied attacker with a shovel killed three pensioners in their homes just hours apart, inquest hears

A frenzied attacker with a shovel and a hammer killed three pensioners in their own homes just hours apart, joint inquests have heard. Anthony Payne, 80, was attacked with a hammer and identical twins Dick and Roger Carter, 84, were bludgeoned to death with a shovel. They were all killed by Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, now 35, on February 10, 2019.The attacks took place just three hours apart at two houses a mile and a half away from each other in Exeter, Devon. Lewis-Ranwell had been released from police custody for attacking an elderly farmer John Ellis with a saw just hours before he attacked Mr Payne. This was his second arrest in the space of 24 hours and occurred just seven hours after he had been arrested for attempted burglary at another farm.In his opening comments to the jury, Philip Spinney, the senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, said they would hear evidence of Lewis-Ranwell's interaction with various health professionals during his three spells in custody between February 8 and 11.He was released from custody at Barnstaple police station at 2.49am on February 9 but returned there seven hours later after attacking Mr Ellis. Dick and Roger Carter, 84, were bludgeoned to death with a shovel Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, now 35, killed three pensioners on February 10, 2019 Alexander Lewis-Ranwell is seen in an image from CCTV footage being released from Barnstaple police station the morning before he went on to kill three people'You will hear evidence that after he was booked into custody, Mr Lewis-Ranwell was escorted to a cell, at which time he took hold of an officer's taser and began pulling to release it from the holster,' Mr Spinney said.'He was restrained and searched and placed in a cell.'Whilst in custody he was the subject of risk assessments and reviews.'Whilst in custody he had to be moved into three separate cells after damaging them.'He was described as continuing to spit and punch the hatch and show aggression towards officers.'Police officers described his behaviour as disturbed and aggressive.'He was seen by a force medical examiner and an assessment under the Mental Health Act was not recommended, but he was to be seen by a mental health nurse the next morning.Mr Spinney said Lewis-Ranwell was not seen by the nurse before he was released from custody on February 10.He then travelled from Barnstaple to Exeter where he killed Mr Payne and the Carter brothers. The next morning Lewis-Ranwell was arrested for the third time, for affray and possessing an offensive weapon, following an incident at a hotel in Exeter. The scene outside 109 Cowick Lane, Exeter, where the bodies of twins Dick and Roger Carter, aged 84, were discovered'Later that day, a Mental Health Act assessment was completed where it was concluded that he was acutely psychotic,' Mr Spinney said.'At that time, it was not known that he had killed Anthony Payne, Dick and Roger Carter.'And as the police investigation progressed, he was identified as the suspect and was arrested in hospital.'The hearing at County Hall, Exeter, heard he was later found not guilty of murder by a jury by reason of insanity and detained indefinitely in a psychiatric unit.Lewis-Ranwell, originally from Croyde, north Devon, has been listed as an 'interested person' during the inquests but is not taking part or being legally represented.Amanda Taylor, niece of Dick and Roger Carter, said the brothers lived their whole lives in the home built by their father, and worked in the family business growing and selling mushrooms.'Dick and Roger feature in many of our childhood memories which are mostly of time spent with them at our grandparents at the family home,' she said.'Dick and Roger always took a great interest in the family and remained in our lives after we grew up and had families of our own.'Life at Cowick Lane changed very little over the years.'In retirement Dick and Roger remained gentle, kind, considerate men, always interested in how the family was doing and full of stories.'For all of their 30,681 days, Dick and Roger cared for and supported one another.'Their bond was constant and unshakable, not simply the closest of brothers but the lifelong companionship of two people who rarely spent a day apart.'The family cannot imagine how terrible their final moments must have been on February 10 2019.'What we do know is that they did not deserve to have lost their lives in this way and that we can only wish they were still with us today.'Mr Payne's niece Caroline Gillespie said her uncle was an animal lover, who enjoyed working on his allotment.'Tony enjoyed simple pleasures in life and had cultivated a lifestyle that brought him contentment,' she said.'He had a number of interests, many of which he was able to do alone, which gave him some peace and quiet, as he was quite a private person.'At the time of his death, he was living with a friend but used to return daily to his home to feed his cats.'It was at this address on Bonhay Road, whilst tending to his cats, that he was later killed,' she said.'Tony had a difficult start in life, and despite finding peace and contentment in the life he built for himself, his life ended abruptly, and in very tragic circumstances, they completely contrasted with the quiet and private life that he led.'The inquests continue.