A father has been sentenced to prison after spending months evading justice, culminating in a dramatic courtroom outburst as he was finally locked up.
Violent disorder in Birmingham's Gay Village
The explosive courtroom incident marked the conclusion of a lengthy legal case involving three defendants who absconded after being granted bail. Thomas Sweeney, along with his wife Ellen Sweeney and their son Thomas Sweeney junior, were involved in a substantial altercation in Birmingham's Gay Village district during July 2023.
This violent episode involved at least four additional family members and was captured on clear CCTV footage. Judge Dean Kershaw subsequently described the incident as representing "one of the worst disorders" witnessed in Birmingham.
Failed to surrender after wedding bail
Although the Sweeney family admitted to violent disorder charges, they successfully pleaded for bail on the grounds that Thomas junior was scheduled to get married. Judge Kershaw agreed to this request, demonstrating what he later termed "compassion" for their family circumstances.
However, all three defendants failed to return to Birmingham Crown Court on August 29, 2024, as required. Authorities suspected they had fled back to Ireland, leading to immediate prison sentences being issued in their absence while they remained at large.
Months on the run before capture
Judge Kershaw demanded information about efforts to locate the fugitives, and earlier this month Thomas junior was apprehended in a vehicle on the M6 motorway. The nineteen-year-old received an additional two-month sentence for failing to surrender, supplementing the twenty-eight months already imposed for the original violent disorder offence.
This week, Thomas senior appeared at Birmingham Crown Court after voluntarily surrendering to police. His defence counsel, Thomas Duggan, attempted to explain the reasons behind his client's prolonged absence from justice.
Judge dismisses defence claims
Mr Duggan stated: "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..."
Judge Kershaw immediately interrupted these submissions, branding them "utter nonsense." He declared: "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 too."
The judge continued his criticism, stating: "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."
Explosive courtroom confrontation
Judge Kershaw expressed regret about granting the original bail, telling Sweeney senior: "I shouldn't have done that. You couldn't care less. You were completely uninterested." At this point, the defendant began muttering from the dock, forcing the judge to raise his voice to be heard.
The situation escalated dramatically when Judge Kershaw described the Gay Village incident as "cowardly." Sweeney senior erupted into a full-blown rant, shouting: "You don't want to hear the truth, you are racist to the traveller community. You are selfish."
Removed from court during sentencing
Judge Kershaw immediately instructed the dock officer to remove the defendant, stating: "I am not going to continue a hearing with a man ranting and raving, blatantly shouting out ridiculous things to the court." Sweeney senior was subsequently taken down to the cells as his sentencing continued.
The judge imposed an additional three-month prison term on top of the two years and ten months Sweeney senior had already begun serving for the original Gay Village offence. This final chapter concludes a case that has stretched over several years, involving multiple family members and significant periods of evasion before justice was ultimately served.
