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Natasha O’Brien attacker jailed for two years following successful DPP appeal

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Natasha O’Brien attacker jailed for two years following successful DPP appeal. Natasha pictured at a protest in Limerick following the original sentencing in 2023. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Natasha O’Brien attacker, former Irish Soldier, Cathal Crotty has been jailed for two years following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions  following a vicious assault on May 29, 2022

Former Irish Soldier, Cathal Crotty has been jailed for two years following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions  following a vicious assault on Natasha O’Brien on May 29, 2022
Natasha O’Brien pictured above with her friend Shauna Daly at the protest. Picture: David Woodland.

Former Irish soldier, Cathal Crotty, 23, of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, County Clare, has been sentenced to two years in prison for an assault on Natasha O’Brien, 25, which left the Limerick woman on conscious on a public street in Limerick.

The Court of Appeal imposed the sentence following a successful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Thursday, January 23.

The attack occurred on May 29, 2022, on O’Connell Street in Limerick when O’Brien confronted Crotty for shouting homphobic slurs, prompting him to verbally abuse her and attack her. Natasha was repeatedly punched, fracturing her nose,and the attacker continued the attack while she was on the ground. A passerby intervened to stop the assault, which, according to Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy when handing down her sentence, could have had “serious or even fatal consequences.”


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Crotty fled the scene after the passerby intervened, and later boasted about the attack in a Snapchat message saying, “Two to put her down, two to put her out.” Which he would later say to Gardaí was “trying to play it cool”.

Ms Justice Kennedy, delivering judgment, said the original sentence failed to reflect the gravity of the crime, the original suspended sentence handed down by Limerick Circuit Criminal Court last June was quashed and a three-year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on condition of good behaviour imposed.

Natasha, speaking outside the court said she “finally felt seen and heard”. She said, “For the first time in an Irish court I felt seen and heard, I felt acknowledged and it’s just a total contrast to how I felt in that courthouse last June.”

The court highlighted several aggravating factors, including Crotty’s initial attempt to blame Ms O’Brien for the incident, his boasting on social media, and the significant injuries inflicted. The attack and initial sentencing led to nationwide protests and public outcry with people calling for tougher consequences for violent crimes, where Natasha said, “Without your outrage, your fear, your horror, this would not have been looked at. What’s happened to me has happened to so many.”

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.