An elderly man, Thomas O’Halloran, was killed in a stabbing incident in Greenford, West London last August. Lee Byer, 46, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and admitted possessing an offensive weapon. Byer had previous convictions and had just been released from Wormwood Scrubs. He was captured on CCTV running off and arrested near his home. Mr. O’Halloran was attacked as he passed Byer in an alleyway out of sight of drivers. He was stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen.
Police believe that Mr. O’Halloran, who was known for playing his accordion outside a supermarket, was the unsuspecting victim of an unprovoked attack. A post-mortem examination showed he was stabbed in the neck, chest, and abdomen. A group of children, one of whom called 999 for assistance, attempted to help the victim, but he was unable to be saved. Police officials referred to the act as “shocking” and “unprovoked violence.”
Mental health reports showed that Byer was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, hearing voices, and suffering from paranoid delusions. Prosecutors accepted the pleas after his psychotic condition was revealed. The prosecutor said that the defendant’s mental state was the reason for the attack with no apparent motive. Byer is presently being held at Broadmoor high security psychiatric hospital and is scheduled to appear in court on May 10 for sentencing.
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