Mum of 12 and family on the run after huge city centre brawl

A mum of 12, her husband and their teenage son are on the run after a huge brawl which has been called in 'one of the worst' fights to ever take place in a city centre. Ellen Sweeney, 39, Thomas Sweeney senior, 43 and Thomas Sweeney junior, 18, along with David Mongan, 18 and at least four other relatives attacked numerous men and women as they drunkenly left a nightclub in Birmingham.

One victim was repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on while he was on the ground rendering him unconscious. Another was slashed across the chest with a glass bottle, while another victim had seizures after being hit on the head. Others caught up in the fighting on July 15 last year were left with cuts and bruises.

The Sweeneys, previously of Kitts Green Road, Stechford, all admitted violent disorder and were jailed in their absence after failing to appear at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, Tuesday, September 17. This was the second time in a fortnight. they had failed to attend a court hearing.

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The defendants had been allowed to keep their bail at a previous hearing after claiming that Thomas junior was due to get married. Instead it's believed they may have fled to Ireland, reports the BirminghamLive.

Appearing in the dock, Mongan, of Frederick Road, Stechford, was sentenced after admitting violent disorder and three separate offences of shoplifting. Judge Dean Kershaw said: "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."

He 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."

Prosecutor Alura Bather said violence flared when Thomas senior got into a 'verbal disagreement' with an Asian male which then became 'physically aggressive' on Hurst Street. Senior later claimed he had been racially abused but there was no further evidence.

CCTV showed his family joining in before a smaller group, including Thomas junior and Mongan, chased the man through the Gay Village. Mongan pushed him to the ground, punching him 21 times and delivering 14 kicks to the prone victim, as well as punching another member of the public who tried to halt the attack.

Thomas junior punched the initial victim twice and kicked him 14 times before Thomas senior caught up and joined in the assault. Ellen Sweeney, seemingly trying to protect the victim from her own family, was dragged away and left sprawled in the road.

The victim was left unconscious in the attack which continued for several minutes, before events shifted back to the entrance of Glamorous nightclub. The prosecutor told the court Ellen Sweeney got into a verbal altercation with another woman, punched her to the face and called her a 'whore'.

It prompted further violence as family members joined in the chaos. The female victim's friend was glassed across the chest by one of the defendants' family members, while a man sitting on a concrete bollard - and seemingly not immediately involved - was punched to the floor.

Thomas junior also lashed out at a taxi driver who had got out of his cab to see what was going on while Ellen Sweeney was seen throwing multiple punches at someone. The female victims tried to flee towards a nearby Dixy Chicken and even tried to flag down a bin lorry for help.

But they were chased down and attacked again, including by Mongan who punched and kicked one of the women as they lay on the floor. Police arrived amid the chaos and arrests were made.

The Sweeneys have since moved out of Birmingham and were bailed to an address in Croydon, London. The court was told Thomas junior last attended Lavender Hill Police Station on August 9 while Thomas senior and Ellen Sweeney checked in on August 13. But The Metropolitan Police did not notice their later absences and breaches of bail until August 21, blaming new staff and bail books not being checked regularly enough.

Enquiries were made at their London address but they were not there. Police attended again at 2am on the morning of their sentencing hearing but while the lights were on, the property was said to be 'completely empty'.

The Sweeneys were previously listed for sentence at the end of August but failed to show with Judge Kershaw giving them one final chance. The court heard Ellen Sweeney, who had been the family's main point of contact, called her solicitors the previous day, claiming she had got the court date wrong and they were in Scotland visiting family.

But an investigation into her phone showed it was in fact in the Republic of Ireland, where it was believed the family had remained since. Judge Kershaw said: "It's all nonsense. She's in Ireland ringing on the 29th saying she thought it (the court date) was tomorrow. What is she going to do swim across the channel? This is just a ruse. I warned them."

He said INTERPOL and the Irish authorities would now be engaged in trying to arrest them. Meanwhile Mongan had been remanded into custody after carrying out three lucrative shoplifting raids, stealing more than £8,500-worth of goods.

Acting with others and using distraction techniques he targeted large hauls of tobacco from a Co-op in Upton upon Severn in Worcestershire in June 2022 and a One Stop in Lincoln in August last year. He stole Nicorette and dental goods from a Tesco Extra in Chesterfield last November.

Mongan was sentenced to three years and four months. Philip Brunt, defending, said he was 'immature' and 'intoxicated' during the Gay Village incident. He added: "He wasn't thinking of the consequences. He describes his actions as reckless, being young and stupid and he says he regrets it."

Thomas junior was sentenced to two years and four months detention. Morgan Pirone, mitigating for him despite never having met him, said he had a previously clean record, his actions were out of character and it was the first time he had drunk alcohol.

Thomas senior received two years and ten months. His defence counsel Jordan Warren said he had had a 'significant amount of trauma' in his life, suffered mental health difficulties and 'had a large number of children'.

Ellen Sweeney was sentenced to one year and 11 months. Jas Dhaliwal, defending, said the mother of 12 was 'extremely ashamed', apologetic and remorseful. He argued she had acted as protector to the victim in the first half of the disorder but conceded she instigated the second half of the violence.

Judge Kershaw said he would have considered suspending her sentence but concluded he had 'no confidence' she would comply with any community-based punishments due to her failure to attend court.