A volatile industrial spy and burglar who kills to escape. He hides at Petersen's villa, blackmails Ingram by selling stolen car plans, and masquerades as driver Johnny Carpenter during a critical race. He holds Bill Fraser at gunpoint, leading to a fatal cliffside crash that ends his threat.
Their forced partnership becomes the film's central physical and psychological conflict.
O'Donovan points a pistol at Bill during the Milan stop, forces him to continue racing, and later fights him beside the crashed car.
O'Donovan's escape operation places Francesca directly under hostile control.
O'Donovan and Petersen encounter Francesca in Johnny's room, and Petersen holds her captive while O'Donovan masquerades as Johnny.
Ingram initiated the espionage scheme that employed O'Donovan.
The plot states that Ingram hired O'Donovan to lure away the designer for the Volta D'Italia racing team.
The night watchman becomes an early victim of O'Donovan's violence.
During the factory burglary, O'Donovan shoots the night watchman as he escapes.
O'Donovan's criminal actions are part of the confession's subject matter.
Ingram confesses to the frontier guard after O'Donovan's escape attempt ends at the cliff and lake.
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