Amy McAuley, aged 35, attempted to evade legal consequences by staging her own death but has now been handed a three-year prison sentence. McAuley had been facing charges of theft and attempted deception in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. She had obtained a €10,000 loan from KBC Bank in 2018 using altered documents and later tried to secure an additional €5,000 loan unsuccessfully. A fabricated death notice for McAuley surfaced on RIP.ie on January 4, a week after the supposed funeral date, stating her peaceful passing on December 26, 2022.
The notice detailed funeral arrangements at a funeral home in Shankill and a service at St. Mary’s Church in Lucan followed by cremation at Mount Jerome Crematorium. McAuley’s trial was delayed as she impersonated her sister to report her own death to law enforcement. False death notification forms led to the issuance of death certificates under various spellings of her name by Wexford County Council.
Authorities launched an investigation upon discovering McAuley was alive, identifying her at a wedding in Enniscorthy in June 2023 through CCTV footage. Multiple fake death notices on RIP.ie, including one claiming her demise in France, were found. McAuley confessed to the elaborate ruse, citing her reluctance to face trial and leave her child. She had also deceived her employer, claiming her death and seeking benefits for her child’s surgery.
McAuley admitted to several offenses, including submitting false documents, forging a medical report, and theft. With a history of prior convictions for theft and deception, she was sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Orla Crowe, who described the crimes as deliberate and premeditated breaches of trust. The judge highlighted the prolonged nature of the offenses, the significant sums involved, and McAuley’s lack of repayment as aggravating factors.
Despite McAuley’s remorse, family support, and health challenges, she received a four-year sentence with the final 12 months suspended under strict conditions. Probation Service supervision for a year post-release was mandated, along with the provision of medical reports to the prison governor. McAuley’s defense emphasized her remorse, acceptance of responsibility, and the complexity of her circumstances, including health issues and pending motherhood.
