Your top stories on Friday: ‘I’m going to die’: Woman beaten unconscious by soldier condemns ‘horrific’ sentence; Aer Lingus cancels flights

‘I’m going to die’: Woman beaten by soldier condemns suspended sentence

A woman beaten into unconsciousness by a serving soldier on O’Connell Street in Limerick has described the fully suspended sentence he received on Thursday for the unprovoked assault on her as “horrific”.

Natasha O’Brien told Limerick Circuit Criminal Court she had thought she would not survive the incident in which Cathal Crotty, (22), of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, kept punching her after she had been knocked to the ground by two initial blows.

News

• Aer Lingus to cancel up to 20% of flights from Wednesday: Aer Lingus will cancel up to one in five flights from next Wednesday in response to planned industrial action by its pilots.
• Dubliners facing higher property tax: Dublin homeowners face higher local property tax bills under a new Fine Gael-led powersharing agreement expected to be ratified by Dublin city councillors on Friday.
• Barristers set to strike: The criminal courts are likely to face further logjams next month with barristers set to strike as part of efforts to secure more pay.
• Ireland drops to ninth in European road fatality rankings: Ireland has dropped three places in European road fatality rankings and is now in danger of slipping out of the top 10 safest countries following a period of mounting death rates.
• Weather Forecast: Rain in the west this morning will move eastwards, reaching the east coast in the early afternoon, while at the same time clearing to sunny spells and isolated showers in the west. The clearance will then extend eastwards to all parts through the afternoon and evening. Highest temperatures 15 to 19 degrees. Tonight will be mainly dry tonight with clear spells and isolated showers. Lowest temperatures 7 to 10 degrees.
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