Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney
| Thomas Sweeney | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookside character | |||
| Portrayed by | Michael Starke | ||
| Duration | 1984-2000 | ||
| First appearance | 18 September 1984 | ||
| Last appearance | 6 October 2000 | ||
| Created by | Phil Redmond | ||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||
| Profile | |||
| Occupation | Window cleaner, shop keeper | ||
|
|||
| Daughters | Ruth Sweeney |
|---|
Thomas Henry Edward Sweeney, commonly known as Sinbad is a character in Brookside from 1984 to 2000 played by Michael Starke.
Sinbad was first introduced into the soap in September 1984, two years after the programme began. The character was introduced as a window cleaner, however he also took a sideline in many illegitimate deals. Over Christmas 1984 he was seen with 'Trevor the turkey', selling it for £10, and then on delivery producing a live turkey knowing that residents including Sheila Grant and Paul Collins would be too sensitive to kill it, thus keeping the deposit for himself. He later quipped that this was Trevor's third year of doing it. The character was a long-time friend and associate of Jimmy Corkhill.
His nickname derived from his window-cleaning days and his reluctance to clean into the corners of the windows, instead cleaning a porthole-shape in the centre of the glass. For several years the character was billed simply as 'Sinbad'.
While the character of Sinbad was introduced as a light-hearted character with few serious stories, in the 1990s, his character was developed. In 1993, feeling guilty he had kept quiet when he knew Trevor Jordache had beaten Mandy, he helped Beth and Mandy dispose of the body after his murder. Sinbad and Mandy slowly began a relationship, and he stood by her side constantly following her arrest, imprisonment and release. Following this, Mandy gave birth to their daughter Ruth but the couple soon starting drifting apart with Mandy deciding to leave and work in a women's refuge in Bristol taking Ruth with her. Sinbad continued to be a fatherly presence for Mandy's daughter Rachel (Tiffany Chapman) who remained on the close after Mandy's departure. In 2000 the character of Sinbad was written out after he became involved in a child abuse scandal.
Although originally a window cleaner, after selling No 10 Sinbad invested the money into a shop on Brookside Parade selling used kitchen appliances. While working he met Carmel O’Leary. Carmel's youngest son, Tim (Tinhead) resented the pair of them becoming so close and tried to upset their relationship the best he could. While running his shop, Sinbad sold a gas cooker to Ron Dixon, who ever the thrifty man installed it himself, despite having little aptitude towards gas installation, the resulting explosion caused great damage to Brookside Parade. Carmel's eldest son Ben was paralysed in the accident, unable to forgive Sinbad for turning a blind eye to Ron's unqualified installation, the two split up. Tim hated Sinbad for a long time following this, to the point where he tried to run him over in his car. However this caused the car to drive into the river with Tim inside, and he was saved from drowning by Sinbad. Following a talk with Ben, Tim decided to forgive Sinbad and the two would become close over the years.
...
Wikipedia