Courts

Mother-of-one accused of faking her own death awaits DPP decision

The court heard it is alleged that Amy McCauley (33) pretended to be her own sister to have herself declared dead on December 26th

Amy McCauley, 33yrs, with an address at Connagh, Fethard on Sea, Co. Wexford pictured leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice(CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin after she appeared before the District Court

Tom Tuite
Fri Jul 28 2023 - 12:24

Gardaí have been allowed more time to get directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the case of a Dublin woman accused of faking her death.

Mother of one Amy McCauley (33), now living at Connagh, Fethard-On-Sea, Co. Wexford, was arrested in June and given €500 bail.

It follows an investigation by the Pearse Street Garda station detective unit, and the proceedings resumed at Dublin District Court on Friday.

Judge Paula Murphy noted from Det Gda Des Rogers that DPP’s directions had yet to be received.

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She agreed to adjourn the case and told Ms McCauley to return to court on September 14th. Det Gda Rogers had said earlier that he expected “more serious charges”.

She faces seven charges and claims that she had registered her date of death as December 26th, 2022, and had obtained death certificates in the Irish and English versions of her name.

She is accused of one theft and six offences for using false instruments to induce another person to accept them as genuine and, by reason of so accepting them, to do some act, or to make some omission, or to provide some service.

She allegedly used a false medical certificate from a doctor in the name of Amy McAuley on May 8th, 2022, at Pearse Street Garda station.

She is accused of using a false death notification form in the name of Amy McAuley on January 19th, 2023, at Wexford Co. Council and in the name of Amy Nic Amhlaoibh at the Civil Registration Service at Mill Yard Lane, in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford on February 23rd, 2023.

She allegedly used a bogus Panda recycling receipt from a business on July 16th, 2020, at Three Ireland, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay and stole nine mobile phones worth €3,199 from the telecom firm on the same date.

She was charged with using a fake Rotunda Hospital medical report on November 23rd last year.

At her first hearing on June 24th, Det Gda Rogers gave evidence that he arrested Ms McCauley in Fethard-On-Sea the previous day. He had said, “She made no reply to each charge after caution.”

He had objected to bail due to the possibility of flight risk, alleging Ms McCauley let on to be her own sister to have herself declared dead on December 26th last.

A death certificate was issued, and there was also a death notice, the court heard.

She was also declared dead under the Irish version of her name, married and moved to Wexford, living under a different name, it was claimed.

Det Gda Rogers said Ms McCauley was accused of using forging documents, and the contested bail hearing was told she allegedly used a different name and contacted various agencies as her sister about the death.

The defence asked the court to note she had a young child, and it was “a quite complex matter” with “unique circumstances in relation to death certificates”.

Ms McCauley has been allowed legal aid after her solicitor described her as “not a woman of any means”. She had also surrendered her travel documents.

Ms McCauley, who has yet to indicate a plea, must sign on daily at her local Garda station. She had to provide gardaí with a phone contact number, must notify them of any address change, and not apply for new travel documents.

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