Former Irish soldier Cathal Crotty has been sentenced to two years in prison for a violent assault on Natasha O’Brien on O’Connell Street in Limerick.

Former Irish soldier Cathal Crotty, 23, of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, County Clare, has been sentenced to two years in prison for a violent assault on Natasha O’Brien, 25, on O’Connell Street in Limerick.

The attack occurred on May 29, 2022, after Natasha O’Brien, who identifies as a lesbian, confronted Crotty for shouting homophobic slurs. Her request prompted a verbal assault followed by an unprovoked physical assault.

Crotty punched O’Brien repeatedly, fracturing her nose, and continued the attack while she was on the ground until she was unconscious. The assault only ceased when a passer-by intervened.  

In an initial court ruling, Judge Tom O’Donnell granted Crotty a fully suspended three-year sentence, citing the defendant’s guilty plea and his military career, which he said would be lost if jail time was imposed.

“In fairness to him, he has come to court and publicly admitted his wrongdoing, and he has made a public acknowledgement of his criminality,” the judge remarked. The now 23-year-old was also ordered to pay €3,000 in compensation to the victim.  

However, an appeal of the sentence highlighted its inadequacy in reflecting the gravity of the crime. In the Court of Appeal on Thursday, January 23, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, alongside Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Tara Burns, quashed the original ruling.

They imposed a three-year custodial sentence, with the final 12 months suspended on condition of good behaviour. Justice Kennedy stated that the fully suspended sentence did not uphold the principle of general deterrence and failed to address the severe physical and psychological impact on the victim.  

Ms Justice Kennedy described the attack as “brutal and unprovoked” against a defenceless woman who had rightfully asked Crotty and his male companion to stop shouting homophobic slurs. She emphasised that the consequences could have been even more severe had it not been for the intervention of a passerby.  

Speaking outside the court, 25-year-old O’Brien expressed relief at the revised sentence.

“For the first time in an Irish court, I felt seen and heard,” she said. “This is such a contrast to how I felt last June.”

She described the attack as having left her with lasting physical and psychological scars but stated that the appeal decision had finally brought her a sense of justice.