Yahoo News Killer stabbed Greenford pensioner 10 times just 5 days after being released from prison
A killer will be sentenced next month after stabbing a pensioner 10 times in Greenford. Lee Byer, 45 of Allenby Avenue, Southall, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 87-year-old Thomas O'Halloran, but has claimed diminished responsibility.
He was arrested in August 2022 after a public appeal, but won’t be sentenced until May 10. On August 16 2022 Thomas was heading home on his mobility scooter having visited Tesco on the A40 - a place he’d been known to busk at.
But he was attacked at around 4pm as he travelled via the A40’s underpass, with CCTV showing a man had headed towards the underpass at the same time - which later proved to be Byer.
Moments later the same man was captured fleeing the Greenford scene while carrying a knife. But despite his serious injuries Thomas was able to move forward on his scooter to Runnymede Gardens and find help. However, he died at the scene.
A post-mortem examination found that Thomas had been stabbed ten times. The cause of death was recorded as stab wounds to the chest and neck.
CCTV images of Byer were widely circulated, and it was prison officers who had dealt with him on the inside who identified him to The Met. The footage showed Byer holding a knife immediately after the attack as he fled the scene, and he was seen disposing of the knife handle down a drain.
DNA was recovered from the handle which matched Thomas’s - proving this was part of the weapon used to kill him. A further DNA match was found on the knife handle matching Byer.
Byer was arrested on suspicion of murder on August 18. Burnt clothing and footwear matching that which was used during the attack was found and recovered in his back garden.
When arrested, Byer insisted that he could not have committed the crime as "I was in prison, I was in prison, so it is impossible - what you are talking about."
However, he had been released five days before Thomas was killed. During the investigation no motive could be found for the attack and no evidence of any previous interaction was ever uncovered.
Detective Chief Inspector 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."
Got a story? Please get in touch at rafi.benady@reachplc.com
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