‘No one is untouchable’
AFTER THREE YEARS ON THE RUN SHANE O’BRIEN IS GIVEN A LIFE TERM FOR THE BRUTAL MURDER OF JOSH HANSON
MURDERER Shane O’Brien, one of the world’s most wanted men, who went on the run for more than three years, has been jailed for life.
An Old Bailey judge sentenced O’Brien on Wednesday October 23 and recommended he spend at least 26 years in prison for the unprovoked killing of Josh Hanson in an Eastcote bar.
The Judge called O’Brien’s actions a “grotesque, violent and totally unnecessary attack on an innocent man”.
A jury took just 55 minutes on Tuesday October 1 to convict O’Brien, 31, originally from Ladbroke Grove, following a trial.
In the early hours of Sunday October 11, O’Brien slashed the neck of his 21-year-old victim before fleeing the country in a private plane.
Despite his best efforts to disguise his appearance, he was eventually arrested in Romania in March and finally found guilty of murder on October 1 after 55 minutes of deliberations by a jury.
Following the sentencing hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, who led the homicide investigation at Specialist Crime, has spoken of how he was able to evade capture for so long.
He said: “Well supported by his associates, O’Brien fled the country in a private plane.
“Those people then helped him with funds, false documentation and accommodation during a threeand-a-half year manhunt.
“I have been privileged to witness unwavering commitment and truly brilliant and innovative work by the entire policing community across the world to track O’Brien’s movements, leading finally to his detention in Romania.
“I’d like to thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who played their part and all those members of the public who called in with potential sightings – even tiny pieces of information can make a huge difference to any murder investigation.”
DCI McHugh added that the conviction shows no one who commits a crime such as this is untouchable, and O’Brien is now paying for his five seconds of violence.
He said: “Today’s lengthy sentence is fitting for such a brutal and unprovoked attack.
“O’Brien will be 57 before he can be considered for release, the best part of his life spent behind bars.
“It also shows no one is untouchable despite their connections and background.
“O’Brien thought he could evade justice with the help of his associates, but he was wrong.
“It is only now, upon sentence, that it’s sinking in for myself, my investigation team and Josh’s family that O’Brien has finally been caught and convicted and will be off the streets, away from society, for a very long time.
“He is an extremely dangerous individual who murdered a young man in the prime of his life in a packed bar for no reason whatsoever. O’Brien’s five seconds of incomprehensible violence have left a lifetime of misery for Josh’s family.”