A Birmingham father who spent more than a year evading justice has finally been jailed after handing himself in to authorities, culminating in a dramatic courtroom outburst where he accused the judge of racism against the traveller community.
Violent Disorder in Gay Village
Thomas Sweeney senior, aged 44, was involved in what has been described as one of the worst public disorders ever witnessed in Birmingham city centre. The incident occurred in July 2023 within the Gay Village area and involved at least seven members of the Sweeney family engaging in a massive physical altercation that was captured on vivid CCTV footage.
Judge Dean Kershaw, presiding over the case at Birmingham Crown Court, branded the violent disorder as particularly severe, noting its significant impact on public safety and community wellbeing in the city centre location.
Failed to Surrender After Wedding Bail
Following the incident, Sweeney senior, along with his wife Ellen Sweeney and son Thomas Sweeney junior, admitted to charges of violent disorder. The family successfully applied for bail on the grounds that Thomas junior was due to get married, with Judge Kershaw showing what he later described as "compassion" in granting this temporary release.
However, all three family members failed to return to court on August 29, 2024, as required by their bail conditions. Authorities subsequently suspected they had fled back to Ireland, leading to immediate prison sentences being issued in their absence from the judicial proceedings.
Year-Long Evasion of Justice
The Sweeney family, previously residing on Kitts Green Road in Stechford, Birmingham, spent more than a year avoiding their prison sentences. Judge Kershaw repeatedly demanded information about efforts to track them down during this period, highlighting the seriousness with which the court viewed their evasion of justice.
Earlier this month, Thomas Sweeney junior was finally apprehended in a vehicle on the M6 motorway. The 19-year-old received an additional two-month sentence for failing to surrender, which was added to the 28-month term he had originally received for his involvement in the 2023 violent disorder incident.
Dramatic Courtroom Confrontation
Yesterday, on Tuesday, January 28, Thomas Sweeney senior appeared at Birmingham Crown Court where it was confirmed he had voluntarily handed himself over to police authorities the previous week. His defence counsel, Thomas Duggan, attempted to explain the reasons for his prolonged absence from justice.
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 Dismisses Safety Claims
Judge Kershaw immediately intervened, branding these explanations as "utter nonsense" and dismissing the claims about safety concerns. The judge stated unequivocally: "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. In my view he decided he was not going to serve this sentence."
The judge further challenged the safety argument by pointing out: "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." Judge Kershaw expressed regret about his initial decision to grant bail for the wedding, telling Sweeney senior directly: "I shouldn't have done that. You couldn't care less. You were completely uninterested."
Explosive Courtroom Outburst
As the judge criticised his actions in the Gay Village incident as "cowardly," Sweeney senior began what court officials described as "chuntering from the dock" before launching into a full-blown rant. The defendant shouted accusations at the judge, claiming: "You don't want to hear the truth, you are racist to the traveller community. You are selfish."
Judge Kershaw responded by ordering dock officers to remove Sweeney senior from the courtroom, stating: "I am not going to continue a hearing with a man ranting and raving, blatantly shouting out ridiculous things to the court." The defendant was subsequently taken down to the court cells to await his formal sentencing.
Additional Prison Sentence Imposed
Following the dramatic courtroom confrontation, Judge Kershaw imposed an additional three-month prison sentence on Thomas Sweeney senior. This supplementary term will be served consecutively with the original two years and ten months he has now begun serving for his involvement in the violent disorder incident in Birmingham's Gay Village.
The sentencing brings to a close a prolonged period of judicial proceedings that has involved multiple family members, international movement between the UK and Ireland, and significant court resources dedicated to ensuring those responsible for the violent disorder faced appropriate consequences for their actions.
