Lee Byer stabbed 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran in the neck and chest, and denied murder at the Old Bailey last month – but has now been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order
Ex-prisoner Lee Byer who killed an elderly mobility scooter rider five days after his release has been sentenced at the Old Bailey to an indefinite hospital order.
Byer stabbed 87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran in the neck and chest in Greenford, west London, in August 2022. The 45-year-old had a string of previous convictions, and just days before he launched the callous attack, he had been released from Wormwood Scrubs. Byer, of no fixed address, denied murder at the Old Bailey last month, but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter by diminished responsibility and having an offensive weapon.
Mr O’Halloran, who was a grandfather and well known member of the local community, was originally from Co Clare in western Ireland. He was described as a passionate musician and “very popular” in Greenford, often busking for charity.
Shortly after 4pm on August 16, 2022, police received a call from a member of the public who found Mr O’Halloran injured on his scooter. Mr O’Halloran was able to tell the passerby that he had been stabbed, although wounds to his body were clearly visible, the Old Bailey previously heard. Police arrived at the scene within minutes, where Mr O’Halloran had collapsed and was helped by members of the public.
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