Man jailed for six and half years for spate of seven robberies

By Fiona Ferguson

A man who began taking drugs as a child and has spent most of his life incarcerated has been jailed for six and half years for a spate of seven robberies.

Michael Rooney Dignam (44) committed the robberies armed with implements such as a broken bottle, knife and a syringe during a drug relapse following a release from custody.

In one robbery, he held a knife to the terrified teenage daughter of a shopkeeper while her father took money from the till.

The victim of another robbery told the court: “I never felt fear like that in my life, ever.”

Other victims, all staff members of shops and off-licences, were threatened that they would be stabbed if they did not hand over money, and one man was hit on the arm with a broken bottle.

Rooney Dignam has 55 prior convictions, including the manslaughter of his brother during a dispute, 21 robberies, burglaries, drugs, public order and road traffic offences.

Rooney Dignam, formerly with an address at Little Britain Street, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to seven robberies at locations around Dublin on dates between August and September 2024.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Rooney Dignam expressed regret and remorse for his actions during garda interviews, and the offences were committed in the context of a drug addiction.

Sentencing Rooney Dignam today, Judge Orla Crowe described the robberies as “intensely traumatic” for the victims, noting that most of them were shop workers, “probably earning minimum wage” and people who had “their lives put in danger”.

She accepted that Rooney Dignam spent the majority of his life in prison and had “very, very difficult background”.

She noted that he had been involved in a cycle of offending, custody, release and re-offending.

Judge Crowe noted a significant previous conviction of manslaughter when Rooney Dignam was convicted of killing his brother.

She accepted evidence that he was “haunted by this”.

She acknowledged Rooney Dignam’s explanation that having been released from prison, he lost three friends and had a significant falling out with his partner.

She noted that these incidences led to Rooney Dignam’s relapse and he carried out the robberies to feed the resulting drug addiction.

Judge Crowe said the crimes represented “a spree of offending over 16 days” during which knives were held to people’s necks, threats and physical forces were used.

She set a headline sentence of 10 years before reducing the sentence to seven and half years, having taken into account the mitigation including Rooney Dignam’s pleas of guilty, expression of remorse and his willingness to engage in drug rehabilitation.

Judge Crowe suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions including that Rooney Dignam be of good behaviour for two years upon his ultimate release from prison and that he be under the supervision of The Probation Service for 12 months.

Prosecuting gardai told Kieran Kelly BL, prosecuting, that Rooney Dignam threatened staff during the robberies while armed with various items and made off with cash from the till in each case.

The premises included supermarkets and off-licences. No money has been recovered.

Rooney was identified from CCTV footage of the robberies and forensic evidence taken from the scenes.

After gardai showed him CCTV from the robbery involving the teenage girl, he told them: “I deserve everything I get for that alone.”

He identified himself on the footage but said he could not remember the robberies. He said that he was spending up to €700 a day on heroin, and all the money went on drugs.

He asked gardai to turn off footage of the robberies, telling them: “I can’t look at it any more”. He said, “There is nothing I can say; there is no excuse for what I did.”

Karl Moran BL, defending, said his client had been involved in the criminal justice system throughout life and began taking drugs at the age of seven.

He has spent the majority of his life incarcerated.

He said Rooney Dignam has a cyclical pattern of drug taking, offending and incarceration.

He said there is significant trauma in his background, and he has difficulties surviving in society upon release.

He said his client had been released in April 2024 and had been working prior to relapsing on drugs after he was unable to deal with stressful situations that arose in his life.