Thomas O’Halloran: Man convicted of killing 87-year-old pensioner on mobility scooter

A man has been convicted of brutally attacking and killing an 87-year-old man as he travelled home on his mobility scooter in west London.

Lee Byer, 45, of Allenby Avenue, Southall pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Thomas O’Halloran on the grounds of diminished responsibility and possession of an offensive weapon on Monday April 29.

Mr O’Halloran, known to friends and family as Tom, was killed while riding his mobility scooter on Western Avenue, in Greenford, on August 16 2022.

The court heard how Mr O’Halloran visited Tesco on the A40 and was returning home on his mobility scooter on that day. He was often seen there busking with his accordion.

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The Met Police said it about 4pm, as he travelled in the underpass, which runs alongside the A40 in Greenford when he was attacked.

CCTV was examined and a man was seen heading towards an underpass under the A40 at the same time as Thomas.

Moments later the same man was captured running from the scene with a knife in his hand. This person was later identified as Lee Byer.

Despite his serious injuries Mr O’Halloran was able to move forward on his scooter to Runnymede Gardens and seek help.

London's Air Ambulance attended, but despite the best efforts of the medics, he died at the scene.

The subsequent post-mortem examination found that Mr O’Halloran had been stabbed 10 times. The cause of death was recorded as stab wounds to the chest and neck.

A murder investigation was launched by detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command.

CCTV footage showed Byer holding a knife immediately after the attack. As he fled the scene, CCTV recorded him disposing of the knife handle down a drain, said the Met Police.

Detectives recovered the handle and submitted it for urgent forensic examination.

DNA was recovered from the handle which matched Mr O’Halloran’s - indicating this was part of the weapon used to stab him. A further DNA match was found on the knife handle matching Byer.

In the early hours of Thursday August 18 officers attended Byer’s home address at Allenby Road, Southall, and arrested him on suspicion of murder.

Scotland Yard revealed that Byer had been released from prison on August 11, five days before he carried out the attack. He was subsequently charged with murder.

Det Ch Insp Laura Nelson who led the investigation said: "First and foremost, my thoughts today are with Thomas’s family who continue to feel the loss of their much loved father and grandfather. His death was senseless.

“Detectives have conducted a meticulous investigation in order to establish the facts of Thomas’s death. Byer’s movements were tracked from his release from prison up to the day of the attack, enabling us to present evidence that could not be disputed. We have worked closely with the forensic command and their examinations have intrinsically linked Byer to the attack.

“We have worked in partnership with the CPS and mental health professionals in order to understand Lee Byer’s mental health. It is the conclusion of mental health experts that Byer was psychotic when he attacked and killed Thomas O’Halloran. The findings have been shared with Thomas’s family."

Byer will be sentenced on Friday May 10.