Woman beaten unconscious by soldier calls for his dismissal from Defence Forces

A woman beaten unconscious by an Irish army private in a “vicious” and “unprovoked” assault in Limerick City has called on the Defence Forces to tender the soldier’s immediate dismissal from the army.

Cathal Crotty (22), from Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, presently remains a member of the Defence Forces at Sarsfield Barracks, despite being convicted of assaulting 24-year-old Natasha O’Brien.

He walked free from court last Wednesday after sentencing judge Tom O’Donnell gave him a fully suspended three-year jail term.

The judge said that when deciding Crotty’s sentence, he had to take into account his early guilty plea, his previous good character, and his apology to the victim, and the judge said an immediate sentence would certainly end Crotty’s army career.

Crotty punched Ms O’Brien at least six times, knocking her unconscious on O’Connell Street, Limerick, on May 29th, 2022. He had shouted homophobic slurs at two men on the street and Ms O’Brien, who was walking…