Woman who faked own de@th to avoid court caught on CCTV attending wedding

Amy McAuley, a 35-year-old woman from Ireland, has been sentenced to three years in prison after faking her own death to avoid prosecution.

She was due to face trial in January 2023 for using forged documents to secure a €10,000 loan and attempting to obtain another €5,000 from KBC Bank.

To evade the charges, McAuley created a false death notice on RIP.ie and even contacted police pretending to be her sister, claiming she had died.

She also sent fake death notification forms to Wexford County Council, leading to two official death certificates being issued in her name.

Gardaí later discovered she was alive after spotting her on CCTV at a wedding in Enniscorthy in June 2023.

Investigators uncovered three separate fake death notices, including one stating she had died in France.

McAuley also deceived her employer by claiming she had died, securing a €9,000 “death-in-service” payment under false pretenses.

When questioned, she said she could not face court and wanted to stay with her young child.

She pleaded guilty to multiple offences including using false instruments, forgery, attempted deception, and perverting the course of justice.

Judge Orla Crowe described her conduct as a “deliberately planned deception” and noted her repeated breaches of trust.

McAuley received a total four-year sentence, with the final year suspended under strict probation conditions.