A young man who escaped following his involvement in a large family fight in the heart of Birmingham has been captured and incarcerated. Thomas Sweeney junior had been set for sentencing in August 2024 after a tumultuous incident in the Gay Village a year earlier, which was recorded on high-resolution CCTV footage.
At the age of 18 at the time, along with his co-accused mother Ellen Sweeney and father Thomas Sweeney senior, he pleaded guilty to violent disorder. They had asked for a delay in court proceedings so he could marry first. However, on the day of sentencing, all three defendants failed to appear and disappeared, with authorities suspecting they had gone back to Ireland.
Over a month later, Judge Dean Kershaw imposed prison terms in their absence, with Sweeney junior receiving a sentence of two years and four months. After more than a year on the run, Birmingham Crown Court confirmed on Thursday (January 8) that the now 19-year-old had been apprehended as reported by Birmingham Live.
Alura Bather, the prosecutor, detailed: “The defendant was apprehended on the 3rd of January this year – five days ago – unexpectedly when Cheshire Police executed a warrant. They were alerted to a vehicle he was driving on the M6 southbound on that date.”
“He initially provided the name Thomas Conroy but later disclosed his true identity. Upon checking his name in the Police National Computer, they found he was not only wanted for this case but also for other outstanding matters in different parts of the country. He was arrested and promptly taken to court.”
Appearing via video link from HMP Altcourse in Liverpool, Sweeney junior admitted failing to surrender to bail. His defense, Queenie Djan, stated: “He acknowledged he was aware that he faced imprisonment.”
“He was very young at the time, still a young adult. Essentially, he panicked. He had recently gotten married and went back to Ireland. During that period, he experienced the loss of his grandparents. As he matured, he decided it was time to face the consequences of his actions in the UK.”
Sweeney junior claimed he was on his way to Stechford Police Station to surrender when he was arrested by officers. However, Judge Kershaw, presiding over the case, firmly dismissed that assertion.
He expressed: “I showed leniency by delaying your sentencing, knowing that a prison term was likely, but you disregarded that. You defied the court’s attempt to show compassion. You simply fled.”
Judge Kershaw deviated from the standard legal guidelines for the offense and imposed a two-month sentence to be served consecutively with his previous 28-month term. Sweeney junior, along with his parents and at least five other family members, engaged in violent and drunken behavior after leaving a nightclub in the Gay Village early on July 15, 2023.
The family attacked multiple individuals in what Judge Kershaw termed as one of the most severe fights witnessed in the city center. Sweeney junior’s involvement included punching a man twice, delivering 14 kicks, and assaulting a taxi driver. Ellen Sweeney, then 39, and Thomas Sweeney senior, then 43, formerly of Stechford, are currently evading authorities.