When 24-year-old Natasha O’Brien confronted serving soldier Cathal Crotty about his homophobic remarks on the street, she was mercilessly battered until she lost consciousness in Limerick City.
Punching her, Crotty, 22, went on to brag to friends on Snapchat, saying, “Two to put her down, two to put her out.”
In addition to suffering a concussion and a broken nose, Ms. O’Brien claims she lost her job as a result of the psychological fallout.
She testified in court about the 2022 attack, saying, “My last conscious thought was, ‘He’s not stopping, I’m going to die,'” as she lay in the foetal position, losing consciousness.
Despite Crotty’s guilty plea, the judge last month opted to fully suspend the three-year sentence, stating that there was “no doubt” the soldier’s army career would end before serving out his jail term.
In Ireland, the decision provoked political censure and nationwide demonstrations.
After the sentence, Ms. O’Brien recalls leaving the courtroom feeling completely empty, alone, and hopeless.feeling disappointed and left behind.
