Detectives said the 87-year-old was stabbed in Western Avenue in Greenford and managed to travel 75 yards on his scooter before calling for help from a member of the public in nearby Runnymede Gardens. Police released an image of a man seen running from the scene armed with a knife, who they said they were “keen to identify as an urgent matter”. He was wearing gray shorts, a dark colored t-shirt, a white baseball cap and white construction style gloves. DCI Jim Eastwood, who is leading the investigation, said: “We are keen to identify the man in the CCTV images as a matter of urgency. He is clearly a dangerous individual and people are advised not to approach him, but to call us immediately on 999 if they know him or have any information about his whereabouts.” CCTV image of a man who police say they are “keen to identify”. Photo: PA O’Halloran was well known in the community and regularly played his accordion outside a Tesco store to raise money for Ukrainian refugees, locals said. A person who lives near the scene, Frasley Coutinho, said he saw the victim surrounded by a group of young boys. Coutinho said he recorded part of the incident on a CCTV camera but was hidden by a plant. He said: “I saw a few people gathering around him and then he drove past and stopped higher up, and then there was a group of young lads around him.” Metropolitan Police Western Area Commander Ch Supt Sean Wilson said: “Yesterday an 87-year-old grandfather on a mobility scooter had his life needlessly taken in a shocking act of unprovoked violence here in Greenford. I understand that our community will rightfully be shocked and horrified by this incident, as I am.” He said detectives were “working tirelessly to understand what happened and to identify who is responsible for this horrific crime”. The Police have been following several investigations and a forensic examination is being carried out in the area. Wilson appealed to the public for help, especially anyone with a dash cam or bike helmet video. “We believe Mr O’Halloran was stabbed on Western Avenue shortly after 4pm,” he said. Additional officers are patrolling the area. The scene was filmed as forensic officers in blue uniforms examined the road in front of a row of semi-detached houses at the junction of Cayton Road and Runnymede Gardens, which is next to the busy A40. Customers and business owners in the small row of shops near Greenford station were shocked. “I saw the news and I can’t believe it’s him,” said one. “Such a wonderful, wonderful man. He loved his accordion. And his scratches. He and his wife always bought scratch cards.” Hitesh Patel, 62, a shop owner, said O’Halloran had a Ukrainian flag on the front of his basket as he played his music. “He said ‘help for Ukraine.’ He was a very good, kind man.” John Robbins, 82, walking in a small park near the scene, said: “You’d regularly see him outside Tesco playing his accordion.” Robbins and his neighbor Peter Banks, 94, said the incident would not stop them from their daily walk. “It used to be a very quiet area, but now it’s all built up,” said Robbins, who has lived there for 50 years. “There are yobs now riding their bikes around,” he added. His neighbor agreed, adding, “But there’s nothing to worry about. If something is going to happen, it will happen.” Simran Advani, 25, a senior property manager who lives near where the stabbing took place, said she often saw an elderly man on a mobility scooter who was “always smiling”. “He was a good old man. He turns the block often, always go on the street and not on the sidewalk,” he said.
