After watching a movie, this Perth woman decided to fake her own death. She almost got away with it.

Karen Salkilld was watching a movie when she got the idea that would land her in jail.

The Perth-based fitness instructor felt trapped in huge debt, and saw only one way out — faking her own death.

In 2023, Salkilld claimed she died in a car crash in Broome to secure a big insurance payout.

And she almost got away with it.

Watch: Real Identity Behind Serial Fraudster With 40 Aliases. Post continues after video

The 43-year-old started a life insurance claim, lodging falsified documents — including a death certificate, funeral documentation, and a letter from the coroner's court.

A week later, the insurance company paid more than $700,000 into a bank account opened by Salkilld in her ex-partner's name.

She had been in a relationship with the woman for several years, and both had remained friendly following their separation three years ago.

As Salkilld had access to her ex's ID documents, having previously travelled overseas together, she superimposed her own face on her former partner's drivers licence and passport, and created an email account.

It seemed like she was home free, until the 43-year-old started moving the insurance money around.

After she transferred funds to creditors and herself, her bank flagged the behaviour as suspicious and froze the account.

But she wasn't going to give up, and in an attempt to certify her falsified documents, Salkilld visited Palmyra Police station multiple times.

By the third visit, officers raised their eyebrows.

When she returned to the station in March, she was arrested and charged with gains benefit by fraud, and intent to defraud knowingly using any record which is false.

The gym owner was sentenced on Monday in Perth's District Court. She has been jailed for three years.

In court, Salkilld's lawyer Max Crispe claimed his client's "crazy act" was inspired by an unspecified film.

Crispe told the court that Salkilld lived in Broome for many years with her first partner, who died by suicide in 2018.

At this time, the fitness instructor received a life insurance payment of $500,000.

A year later, the mother-of-two returned to Perth and bought an F45 gym. She was also a part-owner of a farm with her mother in Beverley.

After accruing various large debts, Salkilld decided to sell the farm. But when it sold for a lesser value, the 43-year-old became desperate.

While Crispe described the scam as a "brain snap," prosecutor Emily Roberts argued it was a "planned and relatively sophisticated" crime.

Roberts added that the fraud was not "victimless" as it involved a bank, insurance company, Salkilld's former partner, and police.

Judge Vicki Stewart also referred to Salkilld's actions as "a calculated deception".

"I don't think opportunistic is the right word," the judge said, adding it "seemed to by motivated by greed".

"She tried to get three-quarters of a million dollars from an insurance company.

"You were living beyond your means and overcommitted yourself."

Despite her name being used to carry out the crime, Salkilld's ex partner wrote a character reference for the fitness instructor. In it, she expressed concern for Salkilld's children should their mother be jailed.

Judge Stewart, however, ruled that the act was too serious to warrant a suspended sentence.

Her estranged sister, who hadn't seen Salkilld in five years, also spoke to Nine outside the courtroom, saying: "It doesn't surprise me that she's capable of doing things like that."

Salkilld will be eligible for parole after serving half of her sentence.

Feature Image: Nine