Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 7435Perverting the course of justice · Co. Wexford

Woman who faked her death to avoid trial sentenced to three years

Amy McAuley, a 35-year-old woman with addresses in Connagh, Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford and Navan Road, Dublin 7, faked her own death to avoid a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where she was due to face theft and attempted deception charges in January 2023. Before that, she had used altered documents to take out a €10,000 KBC Bank loan in 2018, and in January 2023 she submitted a false death notification form to Wexford County Council, after which death certificates were issued using English and Irish spellings of her name. Gardaí became aware in mid-2023 that she was alive and began an investigation. In October 2025 she was sentenced for faking her death and multiple theft and deception offences, with reports differing on whether the sentence was three years in prison or a four-year global term with the final 12 months suspended.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced30 Oct
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Amy McAuley, a 35-year-old woman, faked her own death to avoid a trial.
  • She used altered documents to take out a €10,000 KBC Bank loan in 2018 and later unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a second €5,000 loan.
  • While pretending to be a sister, she contacted gardaí and told them she had died, and the trial did not go ahead.
  • In January 2023 she submitted a false death notification form to Wexford County Council, and death certificates were issued using English and Irish spellings of her name.
  • She stole over €55,000 from an employer in 2015, of which €6,500 was repaid, and over €3,000 worth of mobile phones from Three Ireland in 2021, with most of the money still unrepaid.
Where
McAuley has addresses in Connagh, Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford and Navan Road, Dublin 7.
When
  • She was due to stand trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in January 2023.
  • Gardaí became aware in mid-2023 that McAuley was alive and began an investigation.
Charges
She was due to stand trial on theft and attempted deception charges.
Investigation
Gardaí found three death notices on RIP.ie, one stating she died in France and a second added by a fictitious undertaker she created.
Cause
She told gardaí she knew she was in trouble, could not face coming to court, and did not want to leave her young child.
In court
The court heard McAuley acted alone and there is no evidence she had been living a lavish lifestyle.
Other details
  • She has a young child with health issues, medical and mental health difficulties including schizo-affective disorder, and is pregnant with her second child.
  • She has four previous convictions for theft and deception, including a two-year sentence suspended for 10 years in November 2015 for theft of just under €111,000 from a former employer.
Sentence
Reports differ: one says she was jailed for three years, while another says she received a global sentence of four years with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions for four years.
17 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatShe used altered documents to take out a €10,000 loan from KBC Bank in 2018. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe later unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a second €5,000 loan. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe contacted gardaí pretending to be a sister and told them she had died. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe submitted a false death notification form to Wexford County Council in January 2023. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatDeath certificates were issued using English and Irish spellings of her name. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatGardaí discovered three death notices on RIP.ie, one stating she died in France and a second added by a fictitious undertaker she created. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe told gardaí she knew she was in trouble, could not face coming to court, and did not want to leave her young child. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe stole over €55,000 from an employer in 2015, of which €6,500 was repaid. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe stole over €3,000 worth of mobile phones from Three Ireland in 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe court heard McAuley acted alone and there is no evidence she had been living a lavish lifestyle. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe has a young child with health issues, medical and mental health difficulties including schizo-affective disorder, and is pregnant with her second child. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe has four previous convictions for theft and deception offences, including a two-year sentence suspended for 10 years in November 2015 for theft of just under €111,000 from a former employer. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe majority of the money stolen has not been repaid. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereShe had addresses in Connagh, Fethard-on-Sea, Co Wexford and Navan Road, Dublin 7. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenGardaí became aware in mid-2023 that McAuley was alive and began an investigation. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtShe was due to stand trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in January 2023 on theft and attempted deception charges. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceShe was given a global sentence of four years with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions for four years. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 30 Oct2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Woman who faked her death to avoid trial jailed for three years

    Reports the sentencing of Amy McAuley for faking her death to avoid a January 2023 trial and for multiple theft and deception offences, including a €10,000 KBC Bank loan, over €55,000 stolen from an employer, phones from Three Ireland, and a €9,000 death-in-service benefit payment.

    convicted, Amy McAuley, 35, female, named, irish (judged from name)Amy McAuley