Judge calls McAuley’s death hoax a “deliberate scheme to pervert the course of justice”

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Judge Orla Crowe described Amy McAuley’s fake death as a “deliberate scheme to pervert the course of justice” and imposed a global four-year sentence, with the final 12 months suspended for four years on strict conditions. She also directed that McAuley be supervised by the Probation Services for 12 months after release.

McAuley, 35, had pleaded guilty to offences including submitting a false death notification form, forging and using a medical certificate, attempting to pervert the course of justice, five counts of theft and possession of criminal proceeds. Her deception caused a trial on theft and attempted deception charges to not proceed in January 2023, as she was believed to have died.

The court heard that her offending involved significant planning and breaches of trust, and that most of the stolen money had not been repaid. Judge Crowe identified McAuley’s previous convictions and the amounts involved as aggravating factors, while noting her guilty pleas, remorse, family support, and medical and mental health difficulties as mitigating factors.