A funeral director who left bodies unburied and returned incorrect ashes to families has been described as breaching trust “on an industrial scale,” a court heard at the start of a five‑day sentencing proceeding in Hull Crown Court on Monday.
Police raiding Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull in March 2024 recovered 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes. Owner Robert Bush, 48, had previously admitted 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial and theft from 12 charities.
As the hearing began, relatives watching the proceedings gasped and were reduced to tears when prosecutors detailed the “horror scene” inside the parlour.
This communicative contains details immoderate mightiness find distressing.
Chris Paxton KC told the court that bodies had been discovered “on the racks” of a acold retention country and 1 was recovered connected a stretcher connected the floor. The immense bulk were “uncovered and successful varying states of decomposition”, including 1 of a stillborn baby.
Paxton said Bush, 48, was “entrusted by hundreds of bereaved families” but had “breached that spot connected an astir concern standard successful a myriad of ways”.
The court heard that the scale of Bush’s offending came to light accidentally while he was on vacation in the US. He asked two funeral directors from another firm to remove a body from a care home. Patrick Moore, a casual employee at Legacy, had been instructed by Bush “not to bring anyone backmost to Legacy oregon assistance enactment a assemblage into the fridge area”.
The undertakers grew suspicious and asked Moore how many bodies were at Legacy. Paxton said Moore counted up to 29 bodies and described it as “thing from a horror scene”, adding: “You 2 don't cognize the fractional of it, bodies person been determination for years.”
The undertakers were “shaken” and flagged down a passing police car. During searches officers found a brownish insubstantial container holding a tiny item initially thought to be a baby bird. They then saw two hospital wristbands wrapped around the waist that read “Baby of Jasmine Beverley, calved connected 13/05/22 astatine 05:04”, Paxton said.
The premises were also described as “dirty and unkempt”, with flowers, teddies and cards strewn on the floor – items “loved ones would have wanted” for their deceased relatives.
Bush, of Otley, West Yorkshire, was arrested days later when he landed at Heathrow Airport after returning from the US. He told officers his daughter, who was travelling with him, was “unaware” of what had happened and said, “I person deceived everyone”.
Of the remains found at the Hessle Road premises, most were of people over 60 and about six bodies awaited cremation. One body had been at the site for a year.
Hundreds of victim impact statements are expected to be heard over the course of the week. The first came from Karen King, whose father Norman Bridger’s body was recovered 10 months after his death. She wrote that she had lockets made for herself and her mother containing the ashes given to her by Bush, adding: “I present consciousness violated that I person had immoderate chartless person's ashes truthful adjacent to me”.
Kathryn Howard, who used Legacy after her 73‑year‑old husband Jonathan Butler died, told the court her “world fell isolated each implicit again” when she learned his body had been left at the site. She said an apology “would not
Sincity Press Staff
2 hours ago 3 min read
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