A postmistress was told she would be shot if she did not do as she was told by a couple who held up the post office in Clogherhead, Co Louth, on April 17th last year, a court was told.
Mrs Catherine Reid (71) was also struck and knocked to the ground by the defendant, Nicola Casey (22), Sean O'Casey Avenue, Summerhill, Dublin.
In Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court yesterday she pleaded guilty to robbing the post office and to assaulting Mrs Reid.
Det Garda John Biggins, Drogheda, said the defendant and a man who was not identified had entered the post office via the adjoining house where Mrs Reid lived. Casey got in through a window and let the man in the front door. Mrs Reid was in the post office on her own. The raiders were aggressive and told her if she did not do as she was told she would be shot and no one would hear because there was a silencer on the gun.
After being knocked to the ground she was dragged into a sitting room. She was hysterical and one of the raiders said if she did not stop crying she would be smothered with a pillow.
The alarm was raised by a postman who found the premises locked.
The raiders also told Mrs Reid to show them how to leave unnoticed by the back of the building and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened. She was tied with a clothesline in the back of the house but managed to free herself. She ran into the street as gardai arrived.
Det Garda Biggins agreed with Mr Jonathan Kilfeather, defending, that no gun was found. The defendant told gardai there was no gun. She said she was a heroin addict and had been high when she and the man robbed the post office. They had badly needed the money for drugs.
Judge Patrick Smith was told she had 20 previous convictions and is currently serving a six-month sentence. She has successfully completed a detox programme in prison.
He remanded her in custody for sentencing tomorrow.