Exact day and time Cathal Crotty will be sacked from the Defence Forces confirmed - after medical check delay
Sources have confirmed the exact moment Cathal Crotty will be a civilian after he was served with notice of discharge
Rogue soldier Cathal Crotty has just two full days left in the Defence Forces, we can reveal. Sources have confirmed to The Mirror that Private Crotty will be a civilian in the early hours of Thursday – after he was served with notice of discharge.
We have established that his discharge comes into effect at midnight on Wednesday. Defence Forces commanders took the decision to discharge Crotty (22) after his conviction last month for the brutal attack on Natasha O’Brien in Limerick city centre on May 29, 2022.
Sources have told us Crotty, of Parkroe Heights in Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, was notified of the discharge in recent days. It was planned for him to be sacked last week, but he had to undergo a pre discharge medical, which delayed matters for a few days.
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But the Irish Mirror understands all issues relating to his discharge have been finalised and Wednesday will be his last day as a member of the Defence Forces. There was a nationwide outcry last month when Crotty walked free from Limerick Circuit Criminal Court despite pleading guilty to the shocking and unprovoked attack on Ms O’Brien (24) in the city centre in May 2022.
Crotty beat Ms O’Brien unconscious after she asked him to stop shouting gay slurs — and later boasted about it on social media. Judge Tom O’Donnell, who has now retired, handed Crotty a fully suspended prison sentence for assault causing harm to Ms O’Brien – which meant he was free to go.
The Director of Public Prosecutions is now appealing that sentence - and wants Crotty locked up. The maximum sentence available to judges for the offence of assault causing harm is five years in prison. It is likely to be at least six months before that appeal is heard. News of Crotty’s impending discharge comes as gardaí probe a threatening letter sent to his home last week.
The letter, addressed to Crotty’s father Paul, said: "Mr Crotty, please understand this letter has nothing to do with you, so nothing will be done to you or your house. But if you do as we ask, all isn’t lost, however in not doing as we ask, it will be a very sad story indeed for your son, Cathal.
"As you are aware, Mr Crotty, your son Cathal done a very, very bad thing on that poor girl…So, since justice wasn’t done in court, me and my men from Dublin and our members from 'Limerick' have been talking at our meetings (and) have therefore made a rule that Cathal Crotty from Co. Clare, near Limerick city, will be taken from his home by any means in two weeks’ time, night or day, and (he) will suffer for what he has done to that poor girl who, by the way, wouldn't hurt a fly.
"Mr Crotty, justice wasn’t done in court, your son can’t get away with this crime. However, we will look at the case if your son (moves) out of the county for good, in two weeks’ time. This talk with my members is his last hope, leave now or else, well, you know Mr Crotty what is coming.
"The law can’t help. Even now we have someone looking at your house - it is up to you. You might try to hide him, your son, but we could have taken him last week for a little drive." The anonymous letter which includes a Dublin postmark repeats: "Get him out for good and we will leave him be."
The letter concludes: "Time is running out fast — 2 weeks or we are coming down Mr Crotty, night or day." A garda spokesman said: "An Garda Síochána is aware of correspondence received at a domestic residence in Co. Clare in July 2024."
The Garda spokesman added that "enquiries are ongoing". declined to comment when contacted by the Irish Mirror today. Sources say defence Forces commanders were horrified by the case and were keen to discharge Crotty as soon as possible.
A Defence Forces spokesman said: "The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values. The Defence Forces does not comment on the specifics of individual cases".
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