Grinning baby-faced 'racist,' 15, gets slap on the wrist sentence for trying to drown black friend in Cape Cod pond

The lad of a affluent ferry mogul was fixed a slap connected the wrist successful his sentencing Wednesday aft attempting to drown his achromatic 'friend' successful a pond portion hurling racist slurs.

John 'Jack' Sheeran, 15, was each smiles arsenic helium entered Barnstable Juvenile Court connected Cape Cod successful a bluish suit to look sentencing for repeatedly pushing the achromatic teenager nether the h2o astatine Goose Pond successful Chatham, Massachusetts successful July 2023.

But that grin faded erstwhile the sentencing kicked off. He was handed a word successful a juvenile detention halfway until helium turns 21 – but it was suspended for 3 years meaning helium won't walk immoderate clip down barroom unless helium re-offends.

He was besides ordered to implicit 720 hours of assemblage service. 

Judge Sylvia Gomes besides ordered Sheeran person nary interaction with his unfortunate and indispensable constitute a missive of apology, on with completing 2 acquisition programs. 

Sheeran's parent Sheila broke down successful tribunal earlier her lad was sentenced, and was accompanied by her ain lawyer, arsenic good arsenic aggregate household members.

The tribunal heard that Sheeran had 15 letters of proposal and a 'glowing' study from probation.

The courtroom besides turned into a heated conflict betwixt Sheeran's lawyer Kevin Reddington and Judge Sylvia Gomes.

Reddington went connected an explosive rant successful the courtroom astatine the sentencing, blasting Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois, and playing a signaling helium claimed was of the unfortunate laughing astatine different lad utilizing a radical slur.

Reddington told the tribunal that Galibois was a 'puppet master', and called the incidental 'horseplay', adding: 'This lawsuit has taken connected a beingness of its own. This young antheral has been vilified arsenic a racist, and been made amusive of and criticized successful planetary press.

'People were approaching him connected the streets calling him a racist – adults – erstwhile helium is simply a child.

'The alleged unfortunate is playing the system. He is playing the DA. This young antheral knew this kid, took him in.

'He spent much clip successful the Sheeran household location than anyone. This young kid volition beryllium branded a racist for the remainder of his life.

'I volition not notation to this kid arsenic a unfortunate successful immoderate consciousness whatsoever. Branding this young antheral a racist successful this lawsuit is conscionable not right.'

Reddington rubbed Sheeran's shoulders arsenic helium spoke, and besides referenced a study by forensic scientist Dr. Paul Zeizel which called the transgression charges against Sheeran a 'travesty'.

Judge Gomes fought backmost against Reddington, branding the incidental arsenic 'horrific' earlier telling Sheeran helium made a 'poor choice'.

'There is nary person docket here,' she added. 'I person focused connected the young antheral present who made a horrific mistake.

'Let's instrumentality contention retired of it, it would inactive beryllium a horrific acceptable of circumstances. You made a mediocre choice, you arsenic a quality being, to clasp anyone underwater for immoderate play of clip knowing they can't aquatics is horrific.'

Reddington interrupted the justice aft she made notation to the unfortunate being called 'George Floyd', stating, 'I privation it to beryllium crystal wide helium did not accidental that, the different co-defendant did.'

Judge Gomes changeable backmost that she was alert of the facts, rebutting: 'What occurred was not acceptable.

'Taking the radical constituent retired of this it is inactive a horrific act, and nary different quality being should person to tolerate it. Mr Sheeran has learned a batch and been done a lot.

'You made a mistake and you person been held accountable,' the justice added. 'This should hopefully not beryllium your defining moment.'

She said that she rejected the doctor's assertion that the concern was a 'travesty', earlier addressing Sheeran directly.

'I judge you tin bash this and this isn't going to beryllium your defining infinitesimal successful life,' Gomes said. 'You volition spell disconnected and bash fantastic things successful your life.'

The victim, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, said helium was lured connected Snapchat to the poond by Sheeran and different achromatic lad who initially told him to thrust his motorcycle into the water. 

When helium said nary due to the fact that the motorcycle belonged to his brother, Sheeran started throwing stones astatine the unfortunate who begged to enactment a beingness overgarment connected earlier entering the water.

He past 'threatened to bushed him up', earlier calling him a radical slur and 'boy'. The unfortunate begged Sheeran not to propulsion him nether the h2o due to the fact that helium 'didn't cognize however to aquatics and was acrophobic helium would drown'.

But Sheeran pulled him nether h2o respective times, laughing astatine him arsenic the 2nd lad called the unfortunate 'George Floyd', earlier Sheeran threatened to instrumentality his beingness overgarment distant from him.

He past asked the unfortunate if helium liked his life, with the 2nd lad progressive successful the incidental saying: 'He can't erstwhile he's drowning'. 

The 2nd lad was dealt with successful the juvenile court, and the records were sealed. All 3 boys were 14 astatine the clip of the incidental and person present turned 15.

The unfortunate began screaming for assistance aft Sheeran swam underneath him and started dragging him down by his feet – with the teen calling him a 'b***' and a 'p***y' for yelling.

Sheeran was already astatine the Chatham Police Department successful respect to different incidental wherever helium was suspected of punching an Asian kid successful the look erstwhile helium was interviewed by constabulary implicit the attempted drowning.

The unfortunate did not study the incidental until 2 days later, with Sheeran and his parent refusing to talk to authorities without a lawyer.

Exclusive DailyMail.com footage shows his father, Jack Senior, aggressively attempting to artifact reporters from accessing the courthouse.

His lad grinned astatine the speech arsenic helium entered the building, earlier being brought into the courthouse. 

Sheeran has been connected 24/7 location apprehension astatine his father's $1.6million Chatham location since helium was bailed successful September 2023. 

He has besides been home-schooled since the incident.

The teen's parents person been embroiled successful a bitter divorce, warring implicit their $1.6million Freedom Ferry concern – which takes vacationers betwixt Hyannis Port and the land of Nantucket – since the split.

Sheeran had been surviving with Sheila successful Florida for respective months anterior to the drowning incident.

Divorce documents obtained by DailyMail.com uncover that Sheeran and his 3 sisters were court-ordered to acquisition therapy pursuing their parents' separation.

Filings besides authorities that his parent Sheila, a yoga and spiritual meditation instructor, accused her estranged hubby of 'beating' their lad erstwhile helium was 12.

'Wife is highly acrophobic that hubby is drinking intoxicant to excess,' the records stated.                   

'Possibly utilizing drugs and has go mentally unstable to the constituent the children (who bash not privation to enactment with him) are unsafe successful his care.'

She adjacent claimed passengers connected the ferry could beryllium astatine hazard connected days helium operated it.

Despite her concerns, Sheeran's father still appears to beryllium surviving the precocious life, moving into a million-dollar location aft selling the household location for $4.4million. 

The parents' divorcement has not yet been finalized, with the household tribunal postponing the proceedings until April, awaiting the result of Sheeran's transgression case.