A UK family is believed to have fled to Ireland after attacking various people in Birmingham’s Gay Village. The assailants, who have admitted to the violent disorder, failed to appear at the English city’s Crown Court for a second time on Tuesday, September 17, receiving jail sentences in their absence.

According to reporter Carl Jackson, the incident in question happened in the early hours of July 15, 2023, when Ellen Sweeney (39), Thomas Sweeney senior (43), Thomas Sweeney junior (18), at least four other relatives and David Mongan (18) attacked several men and women outside the Glamorous nightclub in Birmingham. Violence broke out after Thomas senior got into a verbal disagreement with an Asian male, who he ended up chasing through the Gay Village alongside a small group, including his son Thomas junior and 18-year-old Mongan.

The latter knocked the victim to the floor, delivering 21 punches and 14 kicks, also punching a passerby who tried to intervene. Thomas junior similarly punched the man twice and kicked him 14 times, before his father caught up and joined in the attack. When mother-of-12 Ellen Sweeney arrived, she seemingly tried to protect the man from her family but was dragged away and left sprawling on the road. 

The attack lasted for several minutes and left the victim unconscious. Immediately after, Ellen Sweeney got into a verbal altercation with another woman outside Glamorous nightclub, who she eventually punched in the face and called a “whore”.

This prompted the family to get involved in further violent disorder. A friend of the female victim was glassed across the chest, and a man sitting on a large concrete bollard was punched to the floor. Thomas junior also struck out at a taxi driver, while Ellen Sweeney threw multiple punches at another person.

The two female victims ran from the scene to look for help but were chased down and attacked again, including by Mongan who punched and kicked one of them while they were on the floor. Police arrived on the scene soon after and made several arrests.

Since the Gay Village attack, the family moved out of Birmingham and were bailed to an address in Croydon, London. However, the Sweeneys last signed on at Lavender Hill Police Station in early August, and when enquiries were made at their home address, they were not there.

Authorities visited the property again at 2am on the morning of their first sentencing hearing, only to find it “completely empty”. The family failed to show up at court, and Judge Dean Kershaw gave them one final chance as Ellen Sweeney had called her solicitor claiming that she had gotten the date wrong and they were in Scotland visiting relatives.

However, an investigation into her phone showed that it was located in the Republic of Ireland, where it is believed they are in hiding.

David Mongan was the only attacker present in court, sentenced to three years and four months detention for violent disorder and three separate offences of shoplifting. Defence attorney Philip Brunt said his client was “immature” and “intoxicated” during the Gay Village incident, adding: “He wasn’t thinking of the consequences. He describes his actions as reckless, being young and stupid and he says he regrets it.”

Meanwhile, the judge sentenced Thomas junior to two years and four months, Thomas senior to two years and 10 months, and Ellen Sweeney to one year and 11 months.

The latter’s lawyer, Jas Dhaliwal, said his client was “extremely ashamed”, apologetic and remorseful. While Judge Kershaw explained that he would have considered suspending her sentence, he had “no confidence” that she would comply with community-based punishments due to her failure to attend court.

He added: “You are all cowards, complete and utter cowards, engaging in violence against people when they were intoxicated and drunk. Using that mob culture to attack people in that way.”

Judge Kershaw continued: “This is one of the worst violent disorders in this city with multiple people being attacked, assaulted, kicked in the body and kicked in the head. In various ways you all took part watching, engaging, encouraging others by acts or individual acts of violence. It was gratuitous at times.”

As the family are assumed to have fled to Ireland, INTERPOL and An Garda Síochána are now engaged in trying to locate and arrest them.