Quincy man sentenced in fatal 2023 St. Patrick’s Day assault
BOSTON, March 2, 2026, – SANUSI SADIQ, 31, of Quincy, was sentenced today in Suffolk Superior Court for the 2023 death of Barry Whelan, 46, of Woburn, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
Sadiq was convicted of manslaughter by a Suffolk County jury in January after a retrial. The first trial, which was held in February 2025, resulted in a mistrial.
Judge Mary Ames sentenced Sadiq to three to six years in state prison.
At around 9 p.m. on March 17, 2023, Boston police responded to the corner of Winter Street and Winter Place in Downtown Crossing for an unresponsive person, later identified as Barry Whelan, on the ground outside of a TD Bank ATM. Boston EMS transported Whelan to Tufts Medical Center where he was treated for a traumatic brain injury. He died on March 20.
Surveillance footage captured Whelan and a man, later identified as Sadiq, having a verbal exchange for several minutes. Their interaction concludes with Sadiq striking Whelan in the head from behind with his right arm. Whelan fell back and hit his head on the ground. Sadiq walked away down Winter Place.
Police identified and interviewed Sadiq, who admitted hitting Whelan. Sadiq said that he and Whelan did not know each other and that the words exchanged were racial in nature.
Numerous family and friends of Whelan attended today’s sentencing. Whelan’s employer and friend told the court that community members renovated an area in their church and dedicated it, along with a plaque, to Whelan. “This is how much Barry meant to us,” the employer and friend said.
Another friend said Whelan was “a hard worker, passionate about his job, and incredibly proud of his Irish roots and happy to live in the U.S.”
Sadiq addressed the court prior to being sentenced, apologizing to Whelan’s loved ones for the pain he caused, and said that this was “a moment of poor judgment and decision making,” and that his decision has “forever changed the trajectory of my life.”
“Some bad decisions nearly three years ago resulted in one person losing his life, another person losing his freedom and many friends and family members left with eternal loss and sadness. We far too often see the tragic results when people fail to make the simple decision to walk away,” Hayden said.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications