By Elly Blake For Mailonline
Published: 12:56 GMT, 9 December 2022 | Updated: 13:03 GMT, 9 December 2022 Edrive Scooter
A man has denied fatally stabbing elderly mobility scooter rider Thomas O'Halloran in west London last August.
Lee Byer, 44, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 87-year-old grandfather in Greenford, west London, on August 16.
Mr O'Halloran, who was said to be well known in the local community, collapsed from his mobility scooter outside Runnymede Gardens having been stabbed repeatedly.
Police were alerted by a member of the public who had found the badly injured victim travelling in his scooter from a passageway that runs between Runneymede Gardens and Welland Gardens at around 4pm.
Thomas O'Halloran (pictured) was a passionate musician and was described as 'very popular' in Greenford, often busking for charity including Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war
Lee Byer, 44, pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 87-year-old grandfather in Greenford, west London, on August 16 (Pictured: court sketch from August 19)
Mr O'Halloran was able to flag down a passer-by and tell them he had been stabbed, although wounds to his body were clearly visible.
By the time officers arrived minutes later, he had collapsed and was being helped by members of the public.
Police and medics took over first aid but he was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.54pm.
A post-mortem examination found he had sustained multiple stab wounds to the neck, chest and abdomen, a hearing at the Old Bailey heard.
Byer, of no fixed address, was charged on August 19 with Mr O'Halloran's murder and possessing a large knife.
At a hearing on Friday, Byer stood in the dock wearing a grey jumper as he pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Mr O'Halloran (pictured), who was said to be well known in the local community, collapsed from his mobility scooter outside Runnymede Gardens having been stabbed repeatedly, a court heard
Prosecutor Louise Oakley earlier told the court: 'The defendant is charged with the murder of Thomas O'Halloran on 16 August of this year.
'The facts of that case are that shortly after 4 o'clock on the afternoon of 16 August a 999 call was received by police.
'The caller of that call had discovered the deceased travelling in his motorised mobility scooter in a passageway.
'At that time the deceased was able to tell that individual that he had been stabbed although it was obvious that he had sustained a number of stab wounds to his body.
'Police arrived within a matter of minutes and found that the deceased had collapsed and was being assisted by various members of the public.
'The police took over emergency first aid and were subsequently assisted...by the London Ambulance Service.
'Despite their best efforts the deceased's life was pronounced extinct at 16:54 hours.'
The grandfather, originally from Co Clare in the west of Ireland, was a passionate musician and was described as 'very popular' in Greenford, often busking for charity including Ukrainian refugees displaced by the war.
The defendant, who is in custody, faces a trial of up to three weeks from May 2.
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