A MAN who slaughtered a grandad as he rode his mobility scooter just days after being released from jail has been locked up.
Thomas O’Halloran, 87, was stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen with a bread knife in an “unprovoked” and “vicious attack” that lasted less than two minutes.
Central NewsThomas O’Halloran was stabbed to death while busking on his mobility scooter[/caption]
Lee Byer was seen holding a knife as he prowled the streets
PAHe had been released from jail just days before the killing[/caption]
Lee Byer pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility and possession of an offensive weapon.
He was today handed an indefinite hospital order after the Old Bailey heard the killer was psychotic, hearing voices, suffering from paranoid delusions and paranoid schizophrenia.
Following his plea, it emerged Byer is a serious career criminal who has 15 convictions against him for 30 offences.
He had been recalled to HMP Wormwood Scrubs for breaching his licence but he was freed just five days before the killing.
Described as a “Fagin-like” character, Byer recruited younger members nto his gang as they robbed £250,000 worth of goods from jewellers across London.
Thomas had been busking on the streets of Greenford, West London, in August 2022 to raise money for Ukraine when the horror unfolded.
CCTV footage showed him and Byer heading towards a passageway in opposite directions when their paths must have crossed.
When he left the alley, a knife could be seen in Byer’s bloodied hand.
The killer dumped the handle of the weapon in a drain but was later arrested at his mum’s house.
He told officers: “Murder, I was in prison at the time.”
Clothes matching those seen on CCTV were found in the house, as well as a knife set with handles similar to the one found in the drain.
Thomas had managed to travel 75 yards on the mobility scooter after being stabbed in an attempt to flag down a passer-by.
He told one man he had been stabbed before slumping over the vehicle.
Tragically he couldn’t be saved and was declared dead at the scene after undergoing open heart surgery on the roadside.
He had suffered two stab injuries to the heart, one to the back and three to his neck, with one slicing his jugular vein.
Thomas’ grandson pays tribute in moving victim impact statement
Dennis Lintern, who lived with his mother and grandad said: “Our family dynamic was always one where Grandad was seen as head of the household.
“Grandad was a gentle, loving man who spent his whole life working and helping everyone he could.
“He was taken in a horrendous act of cowardice by the defendant who has not only taken my grandfather’s life but devastated and took something from everyone who knew him.
“He was minding his own business doing what he loved- playing the accordion to make people smile and enjoy his music which he had done for many years.
“He was a character, he would always stand up for others if he saw something that was wrong.
“He loved music, and when he wasn’t busking he would write music or practice the accordion at home.
“He was keen to get involved and made lots of friends around the community.”
Tributes flooded in for Thomas, who was originally from Ireland but had been living in Greenford since the 1970s.
He was described as a well-known figure in the community and was often seen busking with an accordion outside a nearby Tesco.
Some of those living in the area had given Thomas the nickname “Mr Bond”, while others affectionately knew him as “Uncle Tom”.
Friend Gerry Hehir described the grandad as a “very loving man and a very caring man”.
He added: “He will be very well remembered for everything he’s done for the community.”
Thomas was well-known in the community