A date has been fixed at the Court of Appeal for a review of the “undue leniency” of the suspended sentence given to now former Irish soldier, Cathal Crotty, who was convicted of the assault of a woman in Limerick two years ago.
A hearing at the Court of Appeal is set to take place on the 23rd of January 2025 with the DPP appealing the original court decision on the basis of “undue leniency”.
Crotty was ordered to pay 3,000 to Natasha O’Brien after pleading guilty to repeatedly punching her in the face in what the court heard was an unprovoked assault.
In the aftermath of the assault, which left the victim with a broken nose and bruising, Crotty wrote on his social media, “Two to put her down, two to put her out,”in relation to what he did to O’Brien.
As Gript previously reported, Mr Justice Tom O’Donnell fully suspended a three year sentence he handed Crotty.
O’Donnell- who was due to retire shortly after giving his verdict – said that the 22-year-old Cathal Crotty “took pride” in having left O’Brien with a broken nose, a severe concussion, severe swelling, bruising on her arms, shoulders, head, right upper thigh, left eye, cheek and jaw, after unleashing an unprovoked attack on her as she was walking home after work.
During the case a court heard testimony from O’Brien who said, “As I lay in the foetal position, and losing consciousness, he continued his relentless beating. My last conscious thought was, ‘he’s not stopping, I’m going to die’.
“The physical injuries I sustained were devastating; a severe concussion, a broken nose, severe swelling, and bruising on both arms, shoulders, head, right upper thigh, left eye, cheek and jaw.
“I spent the following weeks and months attending hospital and doctor appointments, and due to persistent concussion symptoms I was deemed ‘high–risk’ for a brain bleed, and I received a battery of tests including a head CAT scan.” she said in her victim impact statement as reported by the Irish Times.
After the court proceedings were brought to a conclusion, the Defence Forces dismissed Crotty ending his army career.