Killer stabbed grandad, 87, to death while he was on mobility scooter just five days after prison release

A MAN who slaughtered a grandad while riding his mobility scooter was released from jail just days before the horror.

Thomas O'Halloran, 87, was stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen in an "unprovoked" and "vicious attack" in August 2022.

Lee Byer appeared at the Old Bailey today where he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility and possession of an offensive weapon.

Prosecutor Gareth Patterson KC accepted the pleas after mental health reports found the killer was psychotic, hearing voices, suffering from paranoid delusions and paranoid schizophrenia.

He said Byer's mental state provided an explanation for the "motiveless attack".

It can now be revealed 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, 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.

Tragically he couldn't be saved and was declared dead at the scene.

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."

Byer will be sentenced on May 10.