DPP appeals against suspended sentence for Cathal Crotty

The Attorney General has appealed against the conviction of an Irish soldier for the indiscriminate attack on a woman.

Cathal Crotty, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting Natasha O’Brien in Limerick in 2022.

The 22-year-old, an active member of the armed forces, was released from court after being sentenced to three years’ probation for the attack.

The public prosecutor has appealed against the suspended sentence, citing inappropriate leniency.

After the story came to light, protests broke out in Irish cities and outside the Dáil and Limerick Courthouse.

Natasha O’Brien said she was encouraged by news that prosecutors would appeal against Mr Crotty’s three-year suspended sentence for his brutal attack on her, arguing the sentence was too lenient.

“Thank God the right thing is being done now,” Ms O’Brien said.

However, the 24-year-old woman from Limerick said many victims of crime, especially violent crime, do not have the opportunity to hear the views of their abuser.

“This is a step forward, but I’m still at the bottom of a big mountain, so I’m going to keep going,” Ms O’Brien said.

“The number of victims who come to me with horror stories about the verdict, and whose convicted (perpetrators) are at large with no hope of appeal, is quite frightening.”

Ms O’Brien said she had been advised that “it can be quite difficult for the prosecution service to appeal. Sometimes they don’t have the grounds, which is very sad.”

“I’m pretty sure there are a far greater number of inappropriately lenient sentences that don’t go that far.”

Ms O’Brien said she believed her public criticism of Cathal Crotty’s suspended sentence – which he received after beating her unconscious in O’Connell Street in Limerick city – helped him appeal the verdict.

“I know that the DPP is impartial to public opinion and government opinion, but I am convinced that had it not been for a nationwide uproar, there would have been no appeal,” she said.

“Laws and sentencing guidelines need to be changed to allow more of this to happen when judges – in my opinion – are not making fair sentences, so that this process is not so impossible and becomes more accessible to others,” Ms O’Brien said.

Ms O’Brien said she had been informed that the appeal would not be heard before the three-judge Court of Appeal until October/November. She said she had been invited to the hearing and a transcript of Cathal Crotty’s sentencing hearing would be made available to the court.

MMs O’Brien said she had endured “two crazy weeks” since publicly expressing her disgust at the sentence imposed on Crotty by Judge Tom O’Donnell at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court. Crotty boasted on social media after the unprovoked attack: “Two to take her (Ms O’Brien) down, two to take her out.”

“There were so many ups and so many downs.”

She said the Labour Party would bring a motion to the Dáil next Wednesday calling for tougher sentencing guidelines for assault cases: “This is fantastic and it is nice to see the wheel of change slowly moving forward.”

Ms O’Brien expressed concern about the reaction to her public expression of disappointment at Crotty’s verdict and her wider campaign for change in the way judges treat victims of crime.

“I got an incredible amount of backlash last weekend because people were saying, ‘Would she stop?’ – ‘Two (punches) to knock her down, how many to shut her up?’, ‘She deserves it, she’s being cheeky.'”

“It’s really scary. This is a societal problem and people are frustrated because I continue to speak out about it. I’m not going to let up because we as a society are only at the beginning. We are making progress but we are still a long way from where we should be,” argued Ms O’Brien.

“To all these commenters: your hate is my motivation to keep going,” she said.

“The negative comments are now a driving force for me to keep going. This is not OK, it’s as simple as that, and the fact that people think I should sit down and be quiet is disturbing.”

“It is a warning signal to me that so little is said about the justice system, about victims and about violence, that people are seriously provoked when I speak out in favor of holding perpetrators accountable.”

“This is a sensitive issue – why? It is extremely important and we need to continue to talk about it.”

Additional copy by David Raleigh