A 34-year-old Dublin man has pleaded guilty to the offences involving 14 elderly people over a five-month period in 2007 and 2008.
Anthony Connors of Tulip Court in Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbing 13 elderly people and attempting to rob another at various locations around Dublin.
The court heard that at the time he had been released early from an eight-year prison sentence for a string of similar offences.
He began offending five weeks after his release.
In one victim impact statement, an 81-year-old woman said she now lives like a hermit in her home and is afraid to open her door to anyone.
She said she still has nightmares after Connors forced his way into her home, pinned her down and held a cushion over her face before taking €2,100.
Others reported having recurring nightmares and being afraid to go out. Two have since died, one from a terminal illness.
In most incidents he forced his way into the homes of elderly people, pushed them to the ground and threatened them while demanding money.
Some were threatened with a knife or a scissors while being dragged around their house to look for money. Others were locked into their bedrooms and bathrooms as he searched their homes.
He told one 80-year-old woman that he would stay at her house all night and would kill her if she did not give him money.
In other cases, he put sunglasses on his victims or removed their own glasses so they could not see properly. Others were slapped and kicked during the attacks.
Defence counsel Luigi Rea told the court his client was a drug addict who engaged in opportunistic offences and later showed remorse.
He said he apologised to his victims. The court was told that the father of two had 28 previous convictions, mainly for similar offences.
He had spent time in an institution as a child and had unpleasant experiences. While having a severe physical addiction to drugs, there were also psychological problems because of his rapid return to drugs when he got out of prison, he said.
Judge Katherine Delahunt will pass sentence on 8 December.
