Gardaí investigate threatening letter sent to family home of soldier Cathal Crotty

David Raleigh

Gardaí are investigating a threatening letter posted to the family home of soldier Cathal Crotty in Co Clare.

The 22-year-old recently received a fully suspended three-year sentence over an unprovoked assault on Natasha O’Brien (24) in Limerick city on May 29th, 2022. The judge’s decision not to jail Crotty sparked protests and political controversy and he is facing dismissal from the Army.

Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has appointed a senior counsel to conduct a “comprehensive and independent” examination of cases where Defence Forces personnel have convictions or are before the courts.

Gardaí are investigating the anonymous threatening letter, with a Dublin postmark, sent to Crotty’s family residence in Ardnacrusha last Wednesday. A spokesman said the force was “aware of correspondence received at a domestic residence in Co Clare in July 2024” and that “enquiries are ongoing”.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has lodged an appeal against the sentence handed down by Judge Tom O’Donnell and Ms O’Brien has voiced disgust at the nature of the penalty imposed on her attacker and comments made during sentencing.

Ms O’Brien told the court she had “politely” asked Crotty to stop shouting homophobic slurs at people but he grabbed her and assaulted her. Limerick Circuit Court heard he delivered punches to her face and head and continued the attack after she fell to the ground and was losing consciousness.

Crotty boasted about the attack to friends on social media afterwards, saying: “Two to put her down, two to put her out.” The judge criticised the “cowardly” attack but gave Crotty credit for his guilty plea and said he had “no doubt” Crotty’s career in the Defence Forces would be “over” were he to jail him.