Soldier Walks Free After Beating Woman Unconscious And Boasting About It On Snapchat

Thursday, 20 June 2024 16:46

By Martin Osborne

He messaged friends on Snapchat with the words, “Two to put her down, two to put her out."

A serving Irish soldier, who beat a woman unconscious in a random attack, has walked free from court after getting a fully suspended sentence.

Cathal Crotty, who is 22 and of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, County Clare, boasted about the incident afterwards on social media.

Crotty had initially tried to blame the victim, 24 year old Natasha O'Brien, by wrongly telling arresting Gardaí that she had instigated the attack.

It happened on O'Connell Street in Limerick on May 29th 2022.

The court heard it appeared he had lashed out at Ms O’Brien, after she and a friend of hers had “politely” asked him to stop shouting a slur.

However, after Gardaí showed the accused CCTV footage of him attacking Ms. O'Brien without provocation, he admitted his guilt.

Hours after the attack, Crotty messaged friends on Snapchat with the words, “Two to put her down, two to put her out."

Ms O’Brien sustained a broken nose, bruising, nightmares and panic attacks afterwards.

Judge Tom O'Donnell said Crotty's actions were “utterly appalling”, but said he had “no doubt” if he imposed an immediate jail sentence on Crotty his army “career is over”.

The Judge imposed a three-year sentence which he suspended in its entirety.

Crotty was ordered to pay €3000 compensation to Ms O’Brien.

Speaking afterwards, Ms. O'Brien criticised the sentence, saying she felt "there was no true regard given for the seriousness of his violent crimes, nor the lifelong trauma I am now forced to suffer”.