Judge says feuding Travellers brought 'great shame' on their community
A judge said today that feuding Travellers in Ennis “have behaved like savages to each other”.
Judge Gerald Keys made his comment before jailing three men for a series of confrontations between the Sherlock and Molloy families who are related to each other.
Cumulatively, Judge Keys imposed jail terms totalling 50 years and seven months on 12 members and associates of the Sherlock and Molloy families concerning four separate prosecutions.
The vast proportion of the jail terms are suspended and are to run concurrently to the jail terms imposed by Judge Keys.
Addressing the offenders at Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Keys told them that with the feud “all of you have been a disgrace to your families but more importantly to your fellow Travellers.”
"All of you have brought great shame on your community which seriously tests the patience of law-abiding citizens."
Judge Keys said that there is no sign of common sense prevailing in the feud and said that the offenders’ actions can and do lead to resentment towards Travellers.
Judge Keys said that the feuding “must stop and this court will not tolerate this ongoing criminal activity” before saying that some of the participants in the feud don’t even know what it is about.
Judge Keys said that the offenders have been jumping on the bandwagon “and you behave like savages to each other”.
The judge said: “This has to stop.”
In sentencing, Judge Keys imposed a three-year jail term with one year suspended on Declan Sherlock (aged 23) formerly of Dromard, Ennis for a daylight street assault on Sean Slattery that was a flashpoint between the Sherlock-Molloy families on July 28, 2017.
In the assault on Ennis's O'Connell Street, Mr Sherlock struck Mr Slattery while he lay on the footpath 10 times across the head and body with a long wooden pole.
The attack by Mr Sherlock was in response to his brother, Damien Sherlock, being assaulted earlier that day by Thomas Molloy (aged 26) and James Molloy (aged 20) both of Ballaghboy halting site.
In response to that attack, Judge Keys jailed James Molloy and Thomas Molloy for two years for that assault.
The Sherlocks’ father, James Sherlock (aged 50) formerly of Dromard, Ennis, was the getaway driver for the attack on Sean Slattery.
However, James Sherlock escaped jail and was given a number of suspended sentences for his role in three separate flashpoints.
Judge Keys told him that he would have been jailed but for Mr Sherlock’s decision to relocate to Co. Leitrim.
Judge Keys told Mr Sherlock: “You have let yourself down and your family down."
The judge told Mr Sherlock that if he sets foot in Ennis during the period of his suspended jail terms, he will go to jail.
