A “FEISTY” postmistress roared at two armed raiders to get out, causing them to flee, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.
Bernard Kelly (29) was acting as lookout for the two men and was standing at the door armed with a small blade when they came running out.
He appeared before Judge Katherine Delahunt charged with a string of robberies which included an off-licence, a shop, two bookmakers and the post office.
Kelly of Captain’s Road, Crumlin, told gardaí he needed the money to feed his heroin addiction.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and one count of driving a stolen car at various Dublin locations between July and December 2005.
Det Garda Séamus Dalton told prosecuting counsel Martina Baxter, that on November 18th, 2005, two men entered the post office at Leonard’s Corner, Clanbrassil Street.
Both had their faces covered and one of them pointed a handgun at the postmistress, Geraldine Smith. The other man was armed with a knife.
The one with the gun ordered her to give him the money but instead she hit the panic alarm, stood up and shouted “get out”. The two men fled and were joined by Kelly. They escaped in a waiting car and Kelly got out when the car stopped at the lights.
Ms Smith told gardaí she got a “huge fright” and thought the raider was going to shoot her.
Judge Delahunt noted how quickly she had reacted and commented, “she sounds like a feisty woman”. Gardaí arrested Kelly several weeks later and he made full admissions.
He said he was not forced to take part but needed money for heroin.
Det Garda Dalton gave evidence of another robbery where Kelly acted as the getaway driver in a stolen car. He waited outside Kirwan’s off-licence on St Alban’s Road while two masked men entered with handguns and robbed the register.
Kelly was arrested shortly after and said he was given €200 to be the driver.
He claimed it was “a spur of the moment thing” and he did not know where the car had been stolen from.
Other offences included robbing €2,000 from Ladbrokes bookmakers on the Kimmage Road and robbing €210 from a Mace shop on St Peter’s Road in Walkinstown.
Judge Delahunt adjourned sentencing to allow reports to be completed on Kelly and remanded him in custody until March.