Inquests continue into Devon killings
The attacks took place, just three hours apart, at two houses, just a mile and a half away from each other, in Exeter
A man was suffering with delusions about paedophiles and kidnappers, hours before he bludgeoned three people to death in their homes, inquests have heard.
Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, now 35, had been arrested twice and released from custody, before he killed Anthony Payne, 80 and twins Roger and Dick Carter, 84.
Mr Payne was attacked with a hammer, while the Carter brothers were bludgeoned to death with a shovel.
The attacks took place, just three hours apart, at two houses, just a mile and a half away from each other, in Exeter, on February 10, 2019.
The inquests, at County Hall, in Exeter, heard Lewis-Ranwell was first arrested at a farm in Combe Martin, on suspicion of burglary, on the morning of February 8 and taken to Barnstaple police station.
The next day he was released, but seven hours later was back in a cell, having been arrested for attacking farmer John Ellis, with a 4ft saw and stick.
His wife, Maureen Ellis, had called police, and during the conversation Lewis-Ranwell could be heard making allegations about paedophiles.
The jury was shown body-worn camera footage of the arrest, where Lewis-Ranwell is told if he continues to resist he could be tasered.
Lewis-Ranwell was arrested and taken back to Barnstaple police station, arriving almost exactly 24 hours after his first detention.
He was held for almost 24 hours and released on the morning of February 10, a few hours before he killed Mr Payne and the Carter brothers.
The hearing was told Lewis-Ranwell caught a taxi from Barnstaple to Exeter, but, due to his erratic behaviour, the driver left him at Copplestone railway station, where he caught a bus to Exeter.
Driver, Johnson Joseph, said: “I felt there was something suspicious about his behaviour, as he immediately made me feel uncomfortable.
“He sounded psychotic, as he kept on talking to himself and mumbling and I couldn’t understand everything he was saying.
“He was talking about the trees and came across as some kind of mental health patient. His behaviour just wasn’t normal, but I can’t put it into words.
“He was acting erratically and kept on telling me to drive faster and to overtake all of the cars. I just knew he was going to harm me.”
After reaching Exeter St David’s railway station, Lewis-Ranwell got into a dispute about a woman, who he believed was being held against her will, by a taxi driver.
Detective Sergeant Martin Sutcliffe, who was part of the investigation team, told the hearing that Lewis-Ranwell told doctors after the killings he was having “delusions about people being either trapped, kidnapped, held against their will and that he was feeling a compulsion to try and help in some way”.
After leaving the station, he headed towards the nearby Bonhay Road, where Mr Payne’s home was.
He was seen on CCTV from a neighbouring property entering Mr Payne’s home and leaving just six minutes later.
Mr Payne was found dead in an upstairs bedroom, having suffered blunt force head injuries, when he was attacked with a hammer.
Asked about the motivation for the attack, Det Sgt Sutcliffe replied: “Only through other experts and I mentioned before about him having a delusion.
“It was assessed by others that he was looking to free people, or they might have been trapped in some way.
“And my understanding is when that was examined by the experts, he expressed that when he saw the birth certificate on the side that he thought that perhaps Mr Payne was involved in something and keeping people against their will at the property.”
The hearing also heard that several members of the public had interactions with Lewis-Ranwell in Exeter, after Mr Payne had been attacked, who observed his unusual behaviour.
The inquests continue.