A dishonest Hull undertaker prevented the lawful burial of thirty bodies entrusted to his care.
Robert Bush, 48, formerly of Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, admitted following offences when he appeared at Hull Crown Court on Thursday, 2nd April 2026:
- Thirty offences of preventing a lawful and decent burial of a body, an offence contrary to common law;
- Thirty offences of fraud by false representation in relation to those bodies, an offence contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
- Four offences of fraud by false representation in relation to four unborn foetuses, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
- One offence of fraudulent trading in relation to funeral plans, an offence contrary to section 993 of the Companies Act 2006;
- One offence of fraud by false representation in relation to cremated remains, an offence contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006;
- One offence of theft in relation to charity donations, an offence contrary to section 1 of the Theft Act 1968.
Bush was a director of the now defunct Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.
In response to information received, the police raided the business's Hessle Road premises on 4th March 2024. Inside officers discovered dozens of bodies that had purportedly been buried or cremated.
In an effort to cover his tracks, Bush had given bereaved families ashes that were not those of their loved ones. He had also hoarded money that should have been passed on to charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, The Dog's Trust and the RNLI.
Despite knowing the business was in terminal decline, Bush kept selling funeral plans and pocketing the cash.
Laura Tams, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Robert Bush has pleaded guilty to a number of charges in connection with the operation of the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors premises in Hull.
"These charges represent some of the most serious breaches of trust possible in the funeral industry. They include preventing the lawful and decent burial of bodies, defrauding families who paid for services never provided, returning wrong ashes to grieving relatives, fraudulent trading of funeral plans, and the theft of charitable donations made in memory of the deceased.
"The impact on the families and wider community has been profound. At their most vulnerable time, when seeking dignity and closure for their loved ones, these families were subjected to appalling violations of trust.
"I want to take this opportunity to share my deepest condolences to all those who have been affected. Learning that their relatives' remains had not received proper care, and that some received the wrong ashes, has caused immeasurable additional grief and trauma.
"This has been an extraordinarily complex and challenging case for our specialist prosecution team. Working closely with Humberside Police, we were able to review extensive evidence at pace to authorise these charges and build a comprehensive case that reflects the scale and severity of these offences. The defendant's decision to enter guilty pleas today acknowledges the strength of the prosecution's case.
"While nothing can undo the harm caused to these families, today's guilty pleas represent an important step towards justice for all those who have suffered from these deplorable actions."
The offences admitted by Bush today relate to the bodies of the following individuals: Norman Bridger, Muriel Winning, Raymond Dagnall, Colin Wainman, Maureen Graham, Susan Gorbutt, Shirley Wright, Mark Hotham, John Carlill, Joyce Moulton, Terence Buck, David Burton, Audrey Leach, Danny Middleton, Tony Munro, Jessie Stockdale, Peter Moody, Jean Collinson, Alan Gray, Hilda Mary Rhodes, Stephen Perrins, Joan Stark, Brian Johnson, Graham Finn, Terence White, Susan Stone, Herbert James Porter, Peter Brown, Jonathan Butler and Julie Webb.
Mr Justice Nicholas Hilliard has already indicated that Bush can expect a custodial sentence when he next appears before the court on Monday, 27th July 2026.
