A man who UK Police say “brutally attacked and killed” an 87-year-old pensioner in London last year has been convicted of murder.
87-year-old Thomas O’Halloran who was from Clare but was living in West London was attacked and killed by Lee Byer on his way home on his scooter in August 2022.
Investigation lead, Detective Chief Inspector Laura Nelson 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.” she said.
Byer had been released from prison only 5 days before launching the fatal attack on the old man.
The tragic pensioner had visited Tesco on Tuesday, 16 August 2022 and was returning home on his mobility scooter when the attack took place.
Police say Thomas “was often seen there searching with his accordion.”
At about 4pm he was attacked as he traveled in an underpass with CCTV capturing images of a man heading towards an underpass 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.” police say.
Despite sustaining serious injuries Thomas managed to move forward on his scooter to nearby Runnymede Gardens to seek help.
He was assisted by London’s Air Ambulance attended, but despite the efforts of the medical team he passed away at the scene.
Police say a post-mortem examination found that Thomas had been stabbed ten times and that his cause of death was “stab wounds to the chest and neck.”
Using CCTV police were able to recover the handle of the knife used in the attack and using DNA analysis which matched Byer, with Thomas’s DNA also being detected.
Byer was arrested on suspicion of murder in the early hours of Thursday, 18 August at his address at Allenby Road, Southall.
Upon arrest, Byer told police that he could not be guilty of the murder saying “I was in prison, I was in prison, so it is impossible – what you are talking about.”
Police say that during their investigation “no motive could be found for the attack and no evidence of any previous interaction was ever uncovered.”
