Thomas Sweeney senior handed himself and is finally serving a jail sentence for a violent family scrap in the Gay Village in 2023
Thomas Sweeney senior
A dad accused a judge of being ‘racist’ to travellers as he was jailed following more than a year on the run.
Thomas Sweeney senior burst into a rant after his claims that he fled Birmingham out of fears for his own safety were dismissed.
Judge Dean Kershaw branded his outburst ‘ridiculous’ as he ordered for him to be taken down to the court cells.
FULL STORY: Mum of 12 and family on the run after one of the worst Birmingham city centre fights ever seen
Sweeney, aged 44, and at least seven other members of his family were involved in a massive scrap in the Gay Village in July 2023.
It was captured on vivid CCTV footage and branded ‘one of the worst disorders’ in Birmingham by Judge Kershaw.
Ellen Sweeney, Thomas Sweeney senior, and Thomas Sweeney junior leave Birmingham Crown Court.(Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live)
Sweeney, along with his wife Ellen Sweeney, and son Thomas Sweeney jnr admitted violent disorder but pleaded to be granted bail because Thomas jnr was due to get married.
Judge Kershaw agreed but all three failed to return to court on August 29, 2024 and were suspected to have fled back to Ireland.
The family, previously of Kitts Green Road, Stechford were subsequently sentenced to immediate prison terms in their absence.
Judge Kershaw has since demanded information about what efforts were being made to track them and earlier this month Thomas jnr was arrested in a car on the M6.
A few days later the 19-year-old was sentenced to two months for failing to surrender on top of the 28 months he received for the violent disorder in 2023.
Yesterday (Tuesday, January 28) Thomas snr was hauled to Birmingham Crown Court where it was confirmed he had handed himself to the police last week.
Thomas Duggan, defending, explained why he went on the run.
He said: “There were complications within the family and some pressures in the community which meant he didn’t feel safe enough to return to the Birmingham area.
“Those complications meant his family moved around. There were illnesses in the family and he took part in the caring of….”
But Judge Kershaw intervened and branded the claims ‘utter nonsense’.
READ MORE
How a wedding and Met Police blunder allowed ‘coward’ Birmingham family to go on the run
Teen finally caught after going on the run for massive family scrap in Birmingham city centre
He said: “He didn’t want to serve the time, it’s as simple as that.
“All of the enquiries, the lies his wife told where she was lying on phone calls.
“He’s all part of it and he knows it to. In my view he decided he was not going to serve this sentence.
“He was safe enough to beat up someone in a cowardly fashion in the centre of Birmingham. How unsafe he can feel I don’t know.”
The judge went on to state that he showed ‘compassion’ in order for the family to attend the wedding but he told Sweeney snr: “I shouldn’t have done that.
“You couldn’t care less. You were completely uninterested.”
At that point he had to talk over Sweeney snr who began chuntering from the dock.
The defendant then burst into a full blown rant after the judge branded his actions in the Gay Village ‘cowardly’.
Sweeney snr tried to claim his wife had been attacked in the incident as he shouted: “You don’t want to hear the truth, you are racist to the traveller community. You are selfish.”
Judge Kershaw asked the dock officer to remove him and take him down to the cells.
He said: “I am not going to continue a hearing with a man ranting and raving, blatantly shouting out ridiculous things to the court.”
He sentenced Sweeney snr to three months extra on top of the two years and ten months he has now started serving for the Gay Village incident.