Recovering addict pleads guilty to city centre post office robbery
By Declan Brennan
A recovering drug addict who suffered sexual and emotional abuse while at a reformatory school in the 1970s turned to drugs in his late 30s, a court has heard.
William Morrison (56) appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentence after pleading guilty to robbery of a post office in the city centre on April 16 last (2020).
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
The court heard that a 64-year-old post office worker grabbed Morrison when he caught him behind a shop counter stuffing cash into his pockets.
During a struggle Morrison grabbed a large pair of scissors from the counter but the worker managed to disarm him and get him to the floor.
Stephen Montgomery BL, defending, told the court that his client turned to hard drugs at the age of 35 because he felt he had no future.
He said his client felt that his education was stolen from him by his experience at the reformatory school and he was still “fighting demons” from that time.
He said Morrison came from a large family and he and four siblings were sent to a reformatory school “where he sustained systematic sexual and emotional abuse”.
Judge Melanie Greally imposed a sentence of five and a half years on Morrison of Kilmartin Drive, Fettercairn, Tallaght, who had pleaded guilty to robbery of An Post, St Andrew Street, Dublin.
She said she would suspend the final 18 months to motivate Morrison to continue to address his addiction issues.
Garda Eamonn Leane told the court that the staff member had left his post at the large package counter to empty some rubbish bins.
Morrison was already in the shop and while the worker was away he walked in behind the counter.
The man came back and saw Morrison and shouted “what are you doing”. He grabbed Morrison by the shoulders and when Morrison grabbed the scissors he squeezed the raider’s hand to get him to drop the weapon.
The victim told gardai that he wasn’t sure he felt safe in work after the attack. Morrison’s 286 previous convictions include 64 for theft offences, five burglaries and nearly 100 for public order offences.
Judge Greally noted that Morrison’s life was made difficult by his childhood experiences.
She said this was a somewhat exceptional crime for him because of its violent nature.
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