A man has been detained in hospital indefinitely for stabbing to death an 87-year-old grandfather days after being released from prison.
Lee Byer attacked and killed Thomas O’Halloran who was riding a mobility scooter in Greenford, west London, in August 2022.
Mr O’Halloran suffered multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen in a “motiveless” attack that took place just five days after Byer was released from prison, the Old Bailey heard.
The 45-year-old pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter by diminished responsibility and having an offensive weapon.
He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
Mental health reports found Byer was psychotic, hearing voices, and suffering from paranoid delusions and paranoid schizophrenia.
One report described Byer as a “very dangerous man” who attacked Mr O’Halloran with “no provocation”, the court heard during sentencing.
Before handing down Byer’s hospital order, the judge told the court how the defendant had 15 previous convictions for offences such as robbery and theft, drug offences, battery and possession of a prohibited firearm.
On the afternoon of 16 August 2022, a young man found Mr O’Halloran on his scooter after the attack, the court previously heard.
Mr O’Halloran – who was originally from Co Clare, Ireland – told the member of the public he had been stabbed and his wounds were clearly visibly, the hearing was told, before he slumped over.
Despite being given first aid from members of the public and then police and medics, he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
CCTV showed Byer and Mr O’Halloran separately heading into a passageway, before Byer left with a knife handle in his hand and headed for his mum’s home.
In police interviews after his arrest, Byer denied being the suspect and claimed he had been in his mum’s garden or the park at the time.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
During sentencing, the judge said that Byer had tried to “conceal” the “savage attack”.
He was arrested just after 1.30am on 18 August and during it, he said “Murder? I was in prison at the time”, the court heard during sentencing remarks.
Byer had been released from Wormwood Scrubs Prison on 11 August, a handful of days before he attacked and killed Mr O’Halloran.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
