LONDON—A paranoid schizophrenic has admitted killing Thomas O'Halloran, 87, who was stabbed to death as he rode his mobility scooter along a pavement in west London in 2022.
Lee Byer, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter owing to diminished responsibility and possession of an offensive weapon.
At a hearing on Thursday the Crown Prosecution Service announced it was willing to accept the plea by Byer but it could not be reported until Monday, when he formally pleaded guilty to the charge.
Byer appeared at the dock at the Old Bailey after being brought to court from Broadmoor secure psychiatric hospital in Berkshire.
Wearing glasses, a black Adidas tracksuit, and a green windcheater, he stuttered as he entered his pleas.
Mr. O'Halloran, who was originally from the Republic of Ireland and was known locally as Mr. Tom, used to busk outside Greenford Underground station to raise money for charity.
He was stabbed in broad daylight in Greenford, close to the A40—one of London’s busiest roads—on Aug. 16, 2022, but managed to travel 75 yards before collapsing.
Prosecutor Gareth Patterson, KC told Thursday’s hearing two forensic psychiatrists, Dr. Jonathan Hafferty and Dr. Ian Cumming, largely agreed on Byer’s diagnosis.
Mr. Patterson said, “The case has been considered at the senior level of the Crown Prosecution Service, by the deputy chief crown prosecutor, and has been discussed with the family of Mr. O'Halloran.”
Killer Suffering ‘Paranoid Delusions’
The prosecutor said: “There is clear evidence from two highly qualified psychiatrists that at the time of the killing the defendant was psychotic, hearing voices, paranoid delusions, and suffering paranoid schizophrenia.”He said the evidence showed it was likely his mental illness had “impaired his ability to form rational judgments and exercise self-control.”
Mr. Patterson said it was an “otherwise motiveless attack” on an elderly man.
Shortly after 4 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2022, the police received a 999 call from a member of the public who found Mr. O'Halloran on his scooter in Runnymede Gardens, which is parallel to the main London–Oxford road, the A40.
Mr O’Halloran was able to tell the passerby he had been stabbed but he collapsed and was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.54 p.m.
A post-mortem examination found he had suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest, and abdomen.
The attack caused fear in the Greenford and Perivale area amid concerns there was a random killer on the loose, but Byer—who had been released from Wormwood Scrubs prison five days earlier—was arrested within days.
Byer will be sentenced on May 10 and the Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, asked for psychiatric reports to enable him to decide whether to give a hospital order or a hybrid order.
A hospital order would mean Byer serving his sentence in Broadmoor Hospital, while a hybrid order would mean he could be transferred to prison if his mental health improves.
Judge Lucraft said Mr. O'Halloran was clearly a “well-loved man” and he asked for victim impact statements from the family but added, “Writing these things is often not easy.”
