Moment mobility scooter murder suspect was caught on CCTV four days before brutal stabbing

This is the man arrested on suspicion of brutally stabbing beloved busker Thomas O’Halloran to death captured on CCTV in a shop just days before the suspected murder – after neighbours revealed armed police smashed in the door of his west London home during a tense 30-minute standoff today.

CCTV shared exclusively with MailOnline shows the 44-year-old 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 pensioner, 87, was killed in a daylight attack.

Mr O’Halloran was raising money for Ukraine war victims outside a Tesco store and South Greenford railway station when he was knifed in his mobility scooter on Tuesday.

The shopkeeper, whose store is less than 300 yards from where police arrested a man early this morning, told MailOnline he immediately recognised the man from the CCTV image released by police after the suspected murder.

He said: ‘I’ve only seen him a couple of times, but I know his mum who always comes in here. As soon as I saw the police photo I remembered the incident and found him on the CCTV.  There was something off about him which made me remember him.’

The stabbing has appalled the nation and fuelled anger at London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Metropolitan Police as they struggle to combat a rising tide of violent crime currently sweeping the capital, with six suspected murders committed in the past four days alone.

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. 

Shocked residents described 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.

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.

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 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.’

Anyone with footage of the incident is asked to upload it via an online form. Anyone who knows the man in the image, or has details about the murder, is asked to call the incident room on 020 8358 0300 quoting 4691/16AUG. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111 or by clicking here