Crime does not pay, but does tort? Lewis-Ranwell v G4S Health Services (UK) Ltd [2026] UKSC 2

Alexander Lewis-Ranwell killed three people while suffering a psychotic episode. He brought a claim against several defendants who failed to detain him prior to this tragic incident. Following the UK Supreme Court’s recent decision in Lewis-Ranwell v G4S Health Services , 1 his claim in negligence was barred for illegality. The case is significant because it is the first time the UK Supreme Court has confronted the effect of an acquittal for insanity on a tort claim for damages arising out of the crime. 2 Its answer to the question posed in the title of this case note – even if crime does not pay, does tort law? – was thus ‘no’.