Public records link suspects in Paul Bissonnette attack to Irish Traveller community

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — An employee of Raven Golf Club says he was punched by one of the six men charged in an attack on former NHL player Paul Bissonnette in Scottsdale the same night.

Surveillance footage shared on social media shows a man in a Kelly green shirt push someone against a wall inside the course’s restaurant on Nov. 24 and start throwing punches.

“I had a good black eye,” said the 19-year-old employee. “My jaw is still pretty sore on the left side.”

The employee, who asked to be identified only as Carter, said he was called in to close the restaurant for the night, but a group of golfers refused to leave. He said they were part of a larger group of 57 golfers who had gathered from Texas for a golf outing and memorial in honor of someone who had died.

Scottsdale police are investigating whether the attack at Raven involves the same suspects charged with attacking Bissonnette, an NHL commentator, at Houston’s in Scottsdale. Police and public records show the men in that incident are from Texas.

In his booking photo, one of the six suspects, Danny Bradley, is wearing a Kelly green shirt. The Raven employee said he is “100%” sure the man in the green shirt who attacked him at the golf course is Bradley.

Suspects linked to Irish Travellers

Public records obtained by Arizona’s Family Investigates show the six men have deep ties to the Irish Traveller community.

Irish Travellers are an ethnic group whose cultural traditions date back to medieval Ireland. The group began to emerge in the United States in the mid-1800s and is known for its itinerant pavers, roofers, and construction workers.

Because of their nomadic lifestyle and door-to-door sales techniques, police in several states have associated some Irish Travellers with construction scams. The stereotype of Irish Travellers as roving con artists is so common it was the subject of a 1997 Hollywood movie called “Traveller.”

RELATED: Suspect in Paul Bissonnette attack has family ties to 2014 Texas housekeeper killers

Estimates vary, but there are between 10,000 and 40,000 Irish Travellers living in the U.S. today, mostly in Texas and South Carolina. Travellers are also called “Pavees” because so many work in paving or asphalt jobs.

At least five of the six men arrested in the brawl on Nov. 24 at Houston’s have owned or been employed by paving and construction companies, according to business records.

According to property records, at least one of the six men, William J. Carroll, is a direct relative and neighbor of Madelyne Toogood, a self-described Irish Traveller whose criminal trial in the early 2000s drew national attention and introduced large swaths of the country to the reclusive subculture.

William Carroll, John G. Carroll, Henry P. Mesker, Danny Bradley, and Edward J. Jennings are facing misdemeanor charges in the attack Sunday at Houston’s on Scottsdale Road.

A sixth man, Sean M. Daley, is facing two felony charges.

Arizona’s Family called phone numbers associated with the men but were unable to reach them for comment. Attempts to reach immediate family were also unsuccessful.

Police allege Daley held Bissonnette to the ground and kicked the former Coyotes player in the head or neck.

Investigators say Daley also had a fraudulent military ID in his wallet and told officers he needed to get back to Texas.

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