Series of failures allowed mentally ill man to be freed from custody hours before he bludgeoned three pensioners to death, inquest jury concludes
Paranoid schizophrenic Alexander Lewis-Ranwell attacked Anthony Payne, 80, with a hammer and killed identical twins Dick and Roger Carter, 84, with a saw on February 10, 2019 in Exeter.
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Amanda Taylor, niece of the Carter twins, called for a national review of guidance and training on mental health in police custody.
"We believe the evidence heard during the inquests demonstrate the need for a national review of guidance and training on mental health in police custody, so that meaningful lessons are learned, and similar failures are not repeated."
The jury said the shortcomings probably made a more than minimal contribution to the three deaths.
"In its conclusions on Tuesday, the jury said: 'These shortcomings probably made a more than minimal contribution to the three deaths.'"
The inquest jury criticised police and healthcare professionals from Devon County Council, Devon Partnership Trust and G4S for allowing Lewis-Ranwell to be released.
"An inquest jury this week has subsequently criticised police and healthcare professionals employed by Devon County Council, Devon Partnership Trust and contractor G4S for allowing the 35-year-old to be released from custody."
Alexander Lewis-Ranwell killed Anthony Payne and identical twins Dick and Roger Carter in Exeter in February 2019.
"Paranoid schizophrenic Alexander Lewis-Ranwell attacked Anthony Payne, 80, with a hammer and killed identical twins Dick and Roger Carter, 84, with a saw in February 2019."
The inquest jury concluded that a series of failures allowed Alexander Lewis-Ranwell to be freed from custody hours before he killed three pensioners.
"A series of failures allowed a mentally ill man to be freed from custody hours before he bludgeoned three pensioners to death, an inquest jury has concluded."
A jury found Alexander Lewis-Ranwell not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, and he was detained indefinitely in a psychiatric unit.
"He was later found not guilty of murder by a jury by reason of insanity and detained indefinitely in a psychiatric unit."
Dr Mihail Pichiu, a G4S force medical examiner, did not recommend a Mental Health Act assessment for Lewis-Ranwell.
"Dr Pichiu did not recommend an assessment under the Mental Health Act, but requested he was seen by a mental health nurse the next morning – but that never happened."
Lawyer Bharine Kalsi described the scale of the failures in the case as breathtaking.
"Lawyer Bharine Kalsi, who represented the Payne and Carter families, said: 'The scale of the failures in this case are breathtaking.'"