Syringe-wielding mum-of-seven is jailed for attempted robberies in Dublin city centre

Michelle Moloney (38) threatened a young woman with the syringe and followed her, demanding money before trying to steal from a man at an ATM while brandishing a sharp implement.

Judge John King jailed her for six months and gave her another 10-month suspended sentence at Dublin District Court. Moloney, with an address at a city centre hostel, admitted two attempted robberies on the same date, March 7 this year.

The court heard she approached a woman on O’Connell Street at around 7am and asked her for money.

When she refused, the accused followed her, produced a syringe, threatened her and demanded money.

The victim left the scene but was followed “for some distance” by Moloney, the court heard. The victim eventually fled and Moloney did not get any money.

Some 20 minutes later in the same area, Moloney approached a man at an ATM and produced an unidentified sharply pointed object, shouting at him for money.

He also fled and Moloney was again left empty-handed.

Separately, the accused went to Spar on Dame Street on February 25 and took a tablet belonging to a sales representative. She left with it concealed in her jacket. It was later recovered.

Moloney also shoplifted €640 worth of cosmetics from Boots on Dawson Street on March 3.

She had 11 previous convictions, including for theft.

The accused had had a “difficult life” with a very tough upbringing and a history of drug abuse and homelessness, her lawyer said.

All the offences before the court happened in a 40-day period, and it was a “very bad month”.

Moloney had herself been a victim of violence and she “feels terrible about the damage that she has inflicted,” he said, adding that she was “deeply apologetic”.

Moloney was already serving another sentence when she appeared in court; she was clean and sober and custody was doing her “a world of good”.

The judge said the attempted robberies were “very, very serious”. He made the 10-month sentence consecutive but suspended it for two years.