Cops arrest man accused of stabbing to death 87-year-old busker

Cops arrest man accused of stabbing to death 87-year-old busker
This is the man accused of savagely stabbing beloved busker Thomas O'Halloran to death who was arrested by armed police during a tense 30-minute standoff at his west London home today - amid rising fury at Mayor Sadiq Khan as a wave of violent crime sweeps the capital.

Lee Byer was arrested at his home in Southall early this morning less than two miles from where he allegedly murdered the beloved 87-year-old grandfather in his mobility scooter in Greenford on Tuesday - in a daylight attack that has appalled the nation.

CCTV shared exclusively with MailOnline shows the 44-year-old suspect buying a birthday card and a box of chocolates while wearing a blue Covid face mask in a convenience store on Saturday afternoon - four days before the killing.

Mr O'Halloran was raising money for victims of Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine - which has led to alleged war crimes including the murder of captured soldiers, torture, a massive refugee crisis and fears of a global famine - outside a Tesco store and South Greenford railway station when he was knifed to death in his mobility scooter on Tuesday.

The stabbing has appalled the nation and fuelled anger at Mr Khan and the Metropolitan Police as they struggle to combat a rising tide of crime in London, with six suspected murders committed in the capital in the past four days alone - a phenomenon which the Labour figure astonishingly appeared to suggest was caused by the current heatwave, longer days and school holidays.
This morning, a police forensic team arrived at the address in Southall, and one of the officers used a torch to illuminate the white door frame and doorbell. A police car was parked outside the semi-detached home, with red tape across the driveway.
It comes as shocked residents told MailOnline how more than six police officers used a battering ram to smash down the front door of the suspect's semi-detached home on Allenby Road at around 1.30am and shouted for the man to give himself up before he emerged and was pushed to the floor and handcuffed. The house is occupied by a Jamaican couple, they added.
One neighbour said: 'It was 1.30am and I was woken up by shouting a lot so cars arriving. I looked out and could see the police trying to smash down the door. They were using some sort of battering ram.

'Some of them went inside, but there was no sign of anyone. That lasted for about 30 minutes. Then they brought out a man.

'He was resisting and they pushed him to the floor and handcuffed his hands behind his back. Two of the police lifted him off the pavement and took him to a car.'

Another said: 'There was some shouting and when I looked out there seemed to be lots of police. Some were in plain clothes.

'I immediately thought it must have something to do with the murder in Greenford. I do not know the person who lives there, but we would wave hello. It's all come as a bit of a shock.'

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood, who is leading the investigation, said: 'I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support following this horrific incident.

'As a result of the release of a CCTV image yesterday, an arrest has been made and this investigation is progressing at pace.

'Mr O'Halloran's family have been updated with this development and continue to be supported by specially trained officers.'

Heartwarming footage later emerged of the elderly grandfather busking on his 87th birthday which he celebrated just two weeks ago.

Pal Martin Jones, 53, said: 'He was a lovely Irish gentleman and every day he was raising money for Ukraine- it was to help refugees.

'I have known him for about six to eight months and chat to him whenever I see him outside Tesco. Tom was just a lovely bloke who would talk to anyone in the community.

'He laughed with everyone. His hobbies were going to play his accordion and harmonica and raising money. He has been doing it due at least 10 years.

'My friend and I are going to go to Tesco to try and give the family something for the funeral. We would always chat and he would tell me what he was up to. He was a lovely member of the community and was loved by everybody.

'It was his 87th birthday just two Sundays ago. He was at Tesco and had a card saying it was his 87th birthday.'

Mr O'Halloran was originally from Ennistymon, Co Clare, in the west of Ireland. The local community in Clare expressed their 'deep shock' following the pensioner's death. He is survived by his family, including his sister, two brothers, nieces and nephews.
Local Fine Gael senator Martin Conway said Mr O'Halloran visited Ireland regularly and that his death has left his home community in Ennistymon and north Clare in 'deep shock and sadness'.

Mr Conway noted the passionate musician was 'very popular' in Greenford and often busked for charity.

Former Labour MP Stephen Pound paid tribute to the pensioner, an ex-constituent whom he knew from the busker's regular public presence in the area.

He told GB News: 'Tom was a real local character. He would be outside Greenford station playing the accordion, occasionally the harmonica.

'He was a sweet, lovely man... He was well-liked and well-loved, but, above all, he was one of those characters who would cement an area.'

It comes after officers were called to Cayton Road in Greenford, west London, on Tuesday to reports of a stabbing and Mr O'Halloran was declared dead at the scene.

Detectives believe Mr O'Halloran was stabbed in Western Avenue at about 4pm before managing to travel around 75 yards on his mobility scooter to Runnymede Gardens, where he flagged down a member of the public for help.

Harrowing footage released yesterday showed the much-loved busker 20 minutes before he was attacked in broad daylight in an alleyway next to the busy A40 Western Avenue. The footage was taken at 3.48pm as he passed a newsagent shop close to the superstore.

Police were called 18 minutes later at 4.06pm after Mr O'Halloran was ambushed as he headed towards Greenford Station a mile away.

It comes as Mr Khan faces growing pressure to crack down on violent crime after Mr O'Halloran was knifed in an unassuming suburb in broad daylight.

Tories accused the Left-wing leader of doing 'next to nothing' following six murders in four days and 59 so far this year.

Former policing minister Kit Malthouse called for Mr Khan to consider introducing tough measures similar to those brought in by Boris Johnson when he was London mayor.

Mr Malthouse, now Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told LBC radio station that London 'has been plagued by knife crime in the past and seems to be in the grip of it again'.

He added: 'I just hope that the mayor starts to take this as seriously as we did all those years ago and leans in hard.'

And astonishingly, today Mr Khan suggested London's recent spate of violent crime is due to longer days, school holidays and summer heatwaves.

The mayor of London was speaking after six homicides had been reported in the capital in less than a week.
On Saturday, 25-year-old Kacey Boothe was shot in Walthamstow, north London, and the next day Stephen Goodman, 60 was found dead in Dagenham, east London.

Also on Sunday, Sonny Booty, 36, was found dead in a residential property in Lewisham.

Monday saw the fatal stabbing of Li Sung, 58, just off Oxford Street, central London, and Aziza Bennis, 58, in Ealing, west London.

Addressing the surge in violence, Mr Khan told LBC today: 'We have seen over the last few days, the last week, a number of awful homicides.

'I'm afraid this summer we are seeing what we feared, which is an increase in violent crime... there are longer daylight hours, school holidays, a heatwave and so forth.

'We are working with the police to suppress that violence.'