CPS authorises charges in Thomas O’Halloran case
Lisa Ramsarran, from the CPS, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Lee Byer, 44, with murder and possession of an offensive weapon. The charges relate to the killing of 87-year-old grandfather Thomas O’Halloran in Greenford on Tuesday, 16 August 2022 at around 4pm.
“The CPS London Homicide Unit authorised the charges following a review of a file of evidence received from the Metropolitan Police Service.
“The defendant’s first court appearance will take place at Willesden Magistrates' Court today on Friday, 19 August 2022.
“Our thoughts are with Mr O’Halloran’s family at this time.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Notes to editors
- Lee Byer (DOB: 4/8/1978) is from Southall in the London borough of Ealing.
- Lisa Ramsarran is the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor of the London Homicide Unit in CPS London North.
- The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether it is appropriate to present charges for a criminal court to consider.
- The CPS assessment of any case is not in any sense a finding of, or implication of, any guilt or criminal conduct. It is not a finding of fact, which can only be made by a court, but rather an assessment of what it might be possible to prove to a court, in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.