THE DEFENCE FORCES have begun the process of dismissing a soldier who carried out a vicious attack on a woman that he later boasted about online.

Cathal Crotty (22) from Co Clare was today handed a fully-suspended sentence for the assault that he pleaded guilty to.

It is understood that he will no longer serve in the Defence Forces once the appropriate processes are complete.

Judge Tom O’Donnell told Limerick Circuit Criminal Court today that Crotty’s actions on the night of 29 May 2022 were “utterly appalling”.

He said he had “no doubt” that if he imposed an immediate jail sentence on Crotty, that his army “career is over”.

“He (Crotty) took pride in striking a defenceless female in what was a cowardly, vicious, unprovoked and totally unnecessary assault,” the judge said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Defence Forces did not confirm that Crotty would be sacked, but said: “The Defence Forces commend the bravery of the victim in this case, and hope for her full recovery from the injuries sustained.

“The Defence Forces unequivocally condemn any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to or do not reflect our values.

“Any conviction in a civilian court may have implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in Defence Forces Regulations.

“Once due process has been completed in a civilian court of law it becomes a matter for the relevant Defence Forces authorities in accordance with Defence Forces Regulations.

“As such it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

However, senior sources say that the process to remove the convicted man from the Defence Forces has begun and will involve the military’s internal courts martial legal system.

The victim, Natasha O’Brien (24), who was not known to Crotty, was walking home with a female friend after working a shift at a pub, when he violently assaulted her.

Crotty grabbed Ms O’Brien by her hair and punched her to the ground.

He continued holding her hair with one hand and punching her face with his other first as she lost consciousness on the ground, the court heard.

During his initial interviews with gardaí, Crotty claimed Ms O’Brien had been confrontational and that she had punched him in the face first.

Prosecution counsel Lily Buckley BL said Crotty accepted this initial account to gardaí “was all wrong” after they showed him CCTV footage of the incident.

Crotty admitted to gardaí that he “punched” Ms O’Brien “four times”. He also admitted: “I hit her when she fell.”

Crotty told gardaí he realised he had “f****d up” and he ran off.

Crotty faces the prospect of his three-year suspended jail sentence being activated in its entirety should he reoffend within the next three years.

Ms O’Brien said for months following the attack she had persistent concussion symptoms I was deemed ‘high–risk’ for a brain bleed.

She said she was constantly afraid she would die from her injuries and suffered severe PTSD as a result of Crotty’s actions.

In a statement to The Journal this evening, Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Defence Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “Violence against women is a heinous crime.

There’s absolutely no excuse for any woman in Ireland to be viciously attacked by a man, especially in the manner that Natasha O’Brien was.

“She was the innocent victim of an act of violent aggression which should not have taken place and the horrendous trauma that she has gone through, including through a criminal trial process, is something no one should have to face,” MacNeill said.

“We have to stand very firmly with victims of violence and gender violence and say “No more”.”

With reporting by Niall O’Connor, Jane Moore and Christina Finn