Judge who handed down controversial Crotty sentence set to retire this week

A judge who last week imposed a three-year suspended sentence on soldier Cathal Crotty for beating a woman unconscious during an assault in Limerick city two years ago is to retire this week.

Judge Tom O'Donnell, who has served in the legal system in Limerick for almost 50 years, as a judge of both the District and Circuit courts in Limerick, and as a solicitor before that, will serve his last day on the bench on Wednesday, a date he confirmed some weeks ago.

The timing of his retirement from court is unconnected to the public outcry which has followed his decision last week to impose a three-year suspended sentence on Defence Forces member Cathal Crotty of Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, who pleaded guilty to assaulting 24-year-old Natasha O’Brien on Limerick’s O’Connell street in May 2022.

Judge O’Donnell faced huge backlash last week after handing the three-year suspended sentence to the Irish soldier, who beat Natasha O’Brien unconscious.

She suffered severe physical injuries to her face and body, as well as concussion and panic attacks which have had a hugely detrimental impact on her life, forcing her to give up her job and leaving her living in fear and dread.

The accused, who is based at Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick, boasted about the attack on social media afterwards.

Natasha O’Brien hit out at the lack of a custodial sentence imposed on her assailant saying it denied her justice and other women who had also suffered from violent attacks and sent a very dangerous message out into the community that it was acceptable to attack a woman and not be jailed.

In addition, she pointed out that her attacker was a member of the Defence Forces, whose job she said was to protect the citizens of Ireland.

It was also reported that Judge O’Donnell gave a suspended sentence to a Naval Service member, David O’Gorman of Drumgoole, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, who pleaded guilty to a violent attack on a former girlfriend that left one of her eyes permanently displaced.

O’Gorman agreed to make a significant payment to the victim and she agreed to accept it. He remains a member of the Defence Forces almost one year after he pleaded guilty.

A number of protests were held at the weekend over the leniency of the sentence handed down to Crotty for the assault on Natasha O’Brien, including in Limerick where the gathering was addressed by her.

Speaking at the event, she said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed by your solidarity and your support. Without your outrage, your fear, your horror this would not have been looked at.

“What happened to me was horrific and I experienced an extremely violent assault by the hands of a soldier in the Irish Defence Forces, who are supposed to protect us.”

Natasha O’Brien also told the Sunday Independent she hoped judge Tom O’Donnell “walks away from his career with a sense of utter disgrace and shame” for not jailing Cathal Crotty.