Exeter triple murder trial: Killer lived in 'nightmarish world'

A man who bludgeoned three elderly men to death was living in a "dream-like world", a court has heard.

Alexander Lewis-Ranwell, 28, is on trial for the murder of twins Richard and Roger Carter, 84, and Anthony Payne, 80, in Exeter on 10 February.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell admits killing them but denies murder on the grounds of insanity.

He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, where objects and people he encountered were part of a delusion, a jury heard.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul McAllister told Exeter Crown Court the defendant was "living in a nightmarish world".

Dr McAllister assessed Mr Lewis-Ranwell in high-security hospital Broadmoor two months after the killings.

The jury was reminded that he wrongly believed he was killing members of a paedophile ring.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell was arrested and released by police twice in the lead-up to the killings, despite being told of "grave concerns" by his mother.

The court previously heard Mr Lewis-Ranwell believed killing them was the "moral" thing to do.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell told Dr McAllister he had been abused as a child and he believed the victims were "keeping people prisoner".

Dr McAllister said the defendant also thought a woman getting into a car was about to be kidnapped and a young girl in a shop was being abused.

Mr Lewis-Ranwell said he did not intend to commit murder, but it was "necessary because there was someone at risk."

These details were important because they show how unwell Mr Lewis-Ranwell was, Dr McAllister said.

"The jury needs to understand how real this delusion would have seemed to him," he added.

The psychiatrist said his overwhelming impression of Mr Lewis-Ranwell was of a "very complex" and "frightened" man.

Asked if he thought the defendant was making the stories up, Dr McAllister replied "absolutely not".

The trial continues.