Comedies typically have at least a fun premise behind them, no matter how far-fetched they might seem. Seldom do we realize how awful they might be in real life, however.
A real-life version of Weekend at Bernie’s played out in southeastern Ireland this month.
Rather than being a hilarious romp in the vein of the 1989 comedy classic, though, it was actually a horrifying story that traumatized residents and led to a police investigation.
It happened in the town of Carlow
The incident, which has shaken the sleepy town to its core, took place at a post office on Staplestown Road and was witnessed by multiple people.
A deceased man, propped up by two men, entered the post office.
It was all a scheme to cash the dead man’s pensioner’s checks.
Unsurprisingly, the ruse didn’t go well. As The Independent reported, staffers were immediately suspicious and refused to do business with the men or hand over any money.
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When staffers got a moment, they called Gardaí, the Irish police service.
They had literally propped him up, Weekend at Bernie’s-style.
While it might have passed muster in the movie, it turns out that things don’t go so smoothly in real life. People can generally tell the difference between a living person and a dead body, even if the body is propped up.
Multiple witnesses saw it go down.
“[My daughter] was leaving my house at the time and said the man looked unwell as his feet were dragging the ground,” a local woman explained . “It’s a small shop and you’re only allowed three at a time with social distancing. People were in shock as they thought he was having a heart attack.”
The deceased man was known to the men who brought him in.
This information comes courtesy of Gardaí, who confirm they are investigating.
“[The deceased man] was a lovely man, a lovely neighbor and we’re all very upset,” said one woman who knew the man before he passed.
Locals are in shock.
“I cannot believe anyone would do something like that,” said Carlow’s mayor Ken Murnane.
“The whole town is in shock,” added city councillor Fergal Byrne. “The staff in the shop are very shook up from it. I’d like to offer my sympathies to the man’s family also. It’s a bizarre and upsetting situation.”
The police investigation is ongoing.
The suspects were known to the deceased man, which should make the investigation easier. But there’s no word on the identities of the men or whether they’ve been arrested for their alleged actions.
Turns out a real-life Weekend at Bernie’s situation is horrifying.
The movie was a comedy…a dark comedy, sure, but still a fun romp. But the real-life version involves indignities to a corpse, fraud, and a traumatized community. Let’s hope that everyone who witnessed this sad scene gets the closure they deserve.
h/t: The Independent