Courts / Wexford / Report

Woman who faked own death to avoid coming to court to have risk assessment

Date
2025-05-16

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Wexford

County
Wexford

Summary

Amy McAuley, 35, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to using a false instrument by submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023. She also admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023, and forging a medical report on November 23, 2022. The court heard that McAuley faked her death to avoid attending trial for prior theft and fraud offences. Judge Orla Crowe described the matter as complex and directed Probation Services to prepare a risk assessment report. The case was adjourned to October for finalisation. Defence counsel Rebecca Smith BL noted McAuley is now living in Dublin and successfully applied to change the Garda station where she must sign on twice weekly. Judge Crowe granted this application and remanded McAuley on continuing bail. The court also noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions had previously appealed a 2015 sentence of two years, suspended for ten years, for theft of nearly €111,000, citing undue leniency. The Court of Appeal declined to alter that sentence but extended the repayment period to seven-and-a-half years, with the balance still outstanding.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Woman who faked own death to avoid coming to court to have risk assessment. Charges or matters: one count of the use of a false instrument through submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023; attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023 and to a count of forgery of a medical report on November 23, 2022, both at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street; five counts of theft and one of possession of the proceeds of crime on separate dates between November 2015 and May 2023. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

January 19, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
January 23, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
November 23, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
May 28, 2021 Incident
November 2015 Incident
May 2023 Incident
May 2019 Incident
May 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
July 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
December 2021 Other
January 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
November 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
January 4, 2023 Other
December 26, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
June 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
June 24, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
May 15, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
2025-05-16 Publication

Why: Photo: Collins) By Natasha Reid and Eimear Dodd A judge has directed the Probation Services to carry out a risk assessment on a woman who faked her own death because she could not face coming to court. CNI source report

Case subjects

Amy McAuley

Defendant

Charges: one count of the use of a false instrument through submitting a false death notification form to Wexford County Council on January 19, 2023; attempting to pervert the course of justice on January 23, 2023 and to a count of forgery of a medical report on November 23, 2022, both at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street; five counts of theft and one of possession of the proceeds of crime on separate dates between November 2015 and May 2023 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: She received a sentence of two years, suspended for 10 years in November 2015 for the theft of just under €111,000 from a former employer. The court also heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence imposed on McAuley in 2015 on the grounds of undue leniency.; The judge directed the preparation of a probation report and adjourned the case to October for finalisation.