Soldier beats a woman unconscious, gets a great reference from his commanding officer, avoids jail.

Yeah totally agree that’s how it will happen - and isn’t it such a shame that such efforts need to be made in order to achieve a “fair” sentence that’s in line with what the legislation called for. IMHO, sentence in this case couldn’t possibly be adhering to any sentencing guidelines

I dont think anyone is suggesting that.

Usual stupid analogies on this thread. The Irish Prison Service is a separate entity to the Courts Service of Ireland so this garbage about the judges not locking people up because there is no prison space is just the usual Irish pub talk, 'I heard it off a fella who's cousin works in the jail/guards/courts', lol. Prisons are full of non violent drug offenders and I work with lots of them on release.

We always had a violence problem but our courts and ruling classes decided that drug offenses are more worthy of serious punishment.

I think questions now need to be asked around sentencing guidelines - there’s no point in having all of these laws if judges just ignore them and make up their own minds based on the cut of your jib or some other subjective bias.

While people can “outrage” about the judge, I think we need a deeper understanding of their decision making process - there’s been too many overly lenient sentences going back decades now- this story will only be replaced by the next lenient sentence story in a few weeks or months from now and nothing will change. I reckon FG will make it a big election issue - it’s right up their street

But they can, I know guys who went on parade and they quit same day. It may not always be that quick but it has happened.

They just sit at home waiting for the paperwork to clear. Wouldn't be the whole time but it happens.

Again. It is not the same thing.

If that paperwork doesn't clear then it is not the same thing. If the DF says no then it is not the same thing. If it can't be done quick then it is not the same thing.

Somebody working in McDonalds can quit on the spot and their supervisor can't stop them. A soldier cannot quit on the spot.

They can request to leave, but that is not the same thing.

one does not have to be very smart/ bright/ clever to know that when you get kicked or punched around the head that If such do not kill or cause permanent and serious damage then such contacts are just millimetres away from causing such.

When you enlist in the Defence Forces, or get commissioned as an officer you sign your attestation papers. You have a commitment to serve x amount of years and then y amount on the reserve. Usually 5 and 7. It depends on how long you have served and what courses the defence forces has given you. In the grand scheme of things it is not very much. A recruit 3 months into his/her training is €50. A 3* private, a fully trained soldier is €300. If the army sends you to college as a young officer then you owe them two years service for each year of academics. Similaryly if you are an Air Corps Cadet and you do your flight training, you then owe them time of service, it's to stop people getting the Defence Forces to do the light training or the naval service courses and then sodding off and being a pilot with Ryanair or Aer Lingus, or some shipping/maritime companies.

It's basically if you want to the the army before you have finished your "contract".

I don't believe the Judge lied on record.

Without trying to turn this thread political I think every political party will run on this campaign for the next GE. It will soon be up to today's govt to appoint somebody to take his place, all eyes are on them from that POV but you can't blame them for the decision made in 2011, he might have seemed less useless then

The fact of the matter is there is a process now that the DPP can follow to re-sentence him. I pray that does indeed happen and a more realistic sentence is imposed.

so if we all simply keep our distance the abuse of gay men goes unchecked?

Nope I don’t want to live in that society

Nonsense, you can try to...it doesn't always work out.

I was attacked by two scumbags while walking home, homophobic language used I ran, tripped, slashed in the face with a stanley knife. What exactly did you want me to do?

The sentencing and Judge are a disgrace.

For those of you baying for Crotty’s career I suspect you will get your wish. It might have suited them to keep a soldier and have this whole thing brushed under the carpet however now it’s causing a lot of bad publicity, and the one thing the military absolutely hates, it’s bad publicity.

He will be thrown under the bus by them in due time.

They are linked. But in this case there is 0 evidence to suggest the judge did not jail Crotty due to prison spaces. He gave his clear reasons why he spared him jail, and lack of prison spaces was not implied or said.