Mother of man murdered on dance floor begs Interpol to put suspect on 'most wanted' list after he fled UK

'Broken heart': Tracey Hanson and her son Josh, who was killed in Eastcote.

A mother has begged for her son’s suspected killer, who fled the UK on a private jet, to be placed on the world’s most wanted list.

Josh Hanson, 21, from Kingsbury, was knifed in front of his girlfriend on the dance floor of the RE Bar in Eastcote in October 2015.

Police want to speak to Shane O’Brien, 29, who is thought to have gone to the Netherlands and Dubai after the killing.

He was arrested in Prague for criminal damage and assault in February but walked free using a false name, despite being on Britain’s most wanted list.

Last month, on the second anniversary of Mr Hanson’s murder, police offered a £50,000 reward for information leading to O’Brien’s arrest and prosecution.

Mr Hanson’s mother, Tracey, has now called for the suspect to be placed on Interpol’s most wanted list.

Suspect: Shane O’Brien in custody in Prague

In a Facebook post she wrote: “My beautiful son lay dying on the floor while [his killer] walked out of the bar and started running. It beggars belief that he managed to fly out of the country in a private jet from Biggin Hill, and then after being arrested in Prague for assault he manages to walk out of the police station on bail.

“How is it even possible that [despite] being on the UK’s most wanted list, and just recently on Europol’s most wanted, he is still managing to walk free?

“I’m asking for him to be put on Interpol’s most wanted list too, but so far no luck.” An image of O’Brien taken in Czech custody shows he has grown his hair and has a full beard and a distinctive new tattoo on his back of an owl holding a skull.

Police said he should not be approached by members of the public and any sightings of him should be reported immediately by calling 999. Ms Hanson said: “Every day is a challenge for us without Josh and it gets harder as time goes on.

“The pain, the tears, the anger and the frustration are our ‘new normal’ and even when we laugh or smile it comes from a broken heart. We never know what the next hour will bring and living in this world is hard enough without Josh but we also live with the knowledge that [his killer] is still a free man after taking my son’s life.”

Two men arrested as part of the murder investigation were released on police bail. A spokeswoman for Interpol said the majority of Red Notices — the formal name for international wanted persons alerts — are not publicised.

Anyone with information about O’Brien can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or the police incident room on 020 8785 8099.

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