Ex-funeral director sentenced to 20 years after failing to bury and cremate dozens of people

Summary

Warning: this page contains distressing details
Ex-funeral director Robert Bush has been sentenced to 20 years in prison over his failure to bury and cremate dozens of people
During the sentencing at Hull Crown Court, Judge Mr Justice Hilliard says Bush's actions caused "anguish and pain on a scale beyond comprehension"
Victims attempted to hold back tears as the judge went over some of the harrowing details of Bush's offending, our reporter at court writes
The former funeral director had admitted 67 offences, including denying 30 people a decent and proper burial, and fraud charges relating to presenting families with the ashes of strangers
The sentencing follows a week of hearings in which victims described Bush, 48, as a "con man" - on Wednesday, Bush's barrister said "greed and incompetence" likely played a role in his crimes
Speaking outside court, an affected family member says a 'public inquiry should now be established'

Live Reporting

Edited by Jen Bateman, written by Eleanor Maslin with Sarah-May Buccieri reporting from Hull Crown Court

Burial federation boss describes Legacy as 'one of the most distressing cases'published at 13:33 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mike Birkinshaw, the chief executive of the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities (FBCA), has issued a statement in response to the Legacy case.
He said the sentencing "marks the conclusion of one of the most distressing cases to confront the funeral profession in recent years".
"Our first thoughts remain with every family whose trust was so profoundly betrayed.
"Bereaved people have the right to expect honesty, dignity and professionalism from those entrusted with the care of their loved ones," he added.
More families leave court, with public statements expected soonpublished at 13:30 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

As crying continues outside courtroom four, people are leaving down the stairs, back through the doors into the outside world.
Often this week this court has felt like a world of its own, with dim lights and warm air.
More families continue to leave - we're expecting to hear from some of them outside court soon.

Families crying and hugging as they leave courtroompublished at 13:21 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Bush has now been removed from the dock, and people are beginning to file out of courtroom four. Many are crying or holding hands.
Police are nodding at the sentence - they'll give a statement to press shortly.
Only moments ago this room was filled with tension; now, victims and families have an answer, and the court is silent.
Back in the lobby families are gathered, many still crying - some show relief, but the sentence hasn't removed pain from their faces.
Many hug.
Bush briefly looks up as judge explains his sentencepublished at 13:16 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

People are clutching tissues or their hands as the judge explains how he came to the sentence.
As the judge continues, for a brief moment Bush looks up - but almost immediately he looks down again.
The judge asks him to stand, and tells him he is being sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Prison sentence of 20 yearspublished at 13:14 BST 31 July
Breaking
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard has just passed a sentence of 20 years in prison to Robert Bush of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.
It relates to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of victims at his business.
Judge outlines factors of casepublished at 13:12 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

The judge says there are factors present in this case that will not be present in other cases.
“For example duration of offending, gross breaches of trust, number of people affected, outrage and heartache that all this had caused.
“This is of course a complex sentencing exercise. There are many possible ways to go about it," he says.
He tells the court: “I am conscious that for those that have suffered, no sentencing could ever be enough.”

Bush's family 'devastated' says judgepublished at 13:12 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The court hears Bush’s family have been “devastated” by this case; someone behind me in the gallery quietly laughs, as do others.
People are almost on the edge of their seats as the judge continues to speak.
One man turns his entire body to look at Bush as the judge explains part of the sentencing.
Judge discusses mitigationpublished at 13:07 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

The judge says: “In a case of this gravity, personal mitigation would have to be very compelling indeed before it could affect the outcome in any significant way.
“I accept that admitting what he has done without reservation is some evidence of another side to him [Bush].”

Court's focus is on the judge as he addresses sentencing factorspublished at 13:06 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

People in court are focused on Mr Justice Hilliard as he starts to talk about sentencing factors.
One man holds his head; a woman clutches her tissues.
Another woman shakes her head hearing about Bush's crimes, her eyes filled with tears.
Bush himself can be seen rapidly blinking, as he has done at various times this week.
'It is clear the defendant benefited very substantially from his conduct'published at 13:04 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard says: "It is worthy of note that in the same period he was stealing charity money from collection plates, just over £3m was received by Legacy and the defendant’s personal accounts between March 2017 and April 2024.
He adds: “It is clear the defendant benefited very substantially from his fraudulent conduct.
“He obviously lived very well, enjoying expensive holidays and the like.”

Victims had used 'their limited means'published at 12:59 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard refers to the fraudulent trading which took place over 11 years.
Families were promised funeral plans but "none of the funeral plans were referred to a third-party insurer", the judge says.
He said the victims had used "their limited means" to secure funeral plans to try to "prevent anxiety".
Bush hangs head as judge describes impact of his crimespublished at 12:55 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Warning: this post contains distressing details
Bush hangs his head low, looking towards the ground as Mr Justice Hilliard describes the impact of his crimes.
The judge remarks on the neglected remains at Legacy; they were the loved ones of those sitting in the gallery.
Sniffles and crying continue through the courtroom, and Bush's head sinks lower as the judge starts to talk about the babies found in this case.
He makes no attempt to look at the judge as case law is discussed - he hasn't really moved an inch.
At times people in the public gallery turn their heads to look at Bush who remains with his head bowed.

Judge describes 'gross breach of trust' by Bushpublished at 12:53 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard says: “If the police had not intervened the practice would have continued.
“Culpability is of course high because of the gross breach of trust in respect of people who were vulnerable as they were bereaved."
He adds Legacy's Hessle Road premises were in a “deplorable state” whilst Bush spent money on his own personal things instead.
“He was in Arizona on holiday when these offences were discovered," the judge says.
Anyone who used Legacy will 'now have no confidence,' judge sayspublished at 12:48 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard goes on to say: “The awful truth is that anyone whose loved one went through Legacy at any time when it was operating can now have no confidence as to how they were treated or whose ashes they have.
“Unless of course, they were one of the 30 bodies recovered in March 2024.”

Judge refers to baby ashes in casepublished at 12:46 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Warning: this post contains distressing details
The judge now refers to more counts of fraud by false representation, in relation to babies who were trusted to Legacy to be taken for cremation.
He says ashes were presented in each case.
He adds: "In the case of baby Sunny, police found the remains in a paper bag.
“At first, police thought they had found a little bird.”
'The deceased were kept for longer than a month'published at 12:45 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard refers to the fraud by false representation charge, in which 57 families who paid money for a funeral received the incorrect ashes.
He says: “The deceased were kept for longer than a month, in many cases for much longer than a month."
He lists some remains that were kept in Legacy's premises for well over 100 days.

Judge to families: You are not to blame for what happenedpublished at 12:42 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The judge reminds the victims that they are not to blame.
Many of the families have described feelings of guilt - for being deceived by Bush, falling for his character, and then realising the truth.
Each section of the judge's remarks seems to stir up more emotions, and hushed crying is heard through the courtroom.
Victims are attempting to hold back tears as the judge goes over some of the harrowing details of Bush's offending, including the "dreadful conditions" at Legacy.
Judge refers to 'dreadful' conditions at Hessle Road premisespublished at 12:40 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Warning: this post contains distressing details
Mr Justice Hilliard refers to the conditions in which bodies were found at the Legacy premises.
"There was a naked body lying on a stretcher on the floor.
"Two people were lying on the floor in the cold room."
He also says there was "evidence of human putrefaction on the floor" as well as "excrement on the floor of a lavatory".
"The conditions were dreadful," he adds.
He refers to evidence from Dr Richard Lloyd, who also found that bodies had "not been washed or dressed".

Tears and sniffles ripple through courtroom as judge addresses 'heartless' offendingpublished at 12:38 BST 31 July
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

More and more people crying can be heard as Mr Justice Hilliard remarks Bush must have had a "heartless" side to him.
People in the public gallery are listening; the judge's remarks are a painful truth they've had to realise for themselves.
As the judge turns to the reality of the wrong ashes being distributed to families, sniffles and cries ripple through the courtroom.
Tissues can be heard ripping from boxes, and one woman takes her glasses off to wipe away her tears.
Bush is not looking their way, he hasn't for the majority of these hearings.
Judge rejects Bush's claim he had 'cash flow problems'published at 12:35 BST 31 July
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Mr Justice Hilliard says he rejects Bush's claims that he had "cash flow problems".
He says: “I reject that entirely. The only problem was the direction in which the cash was flowing.
“It should have been funding the proper care of the remains of a deceased person in accordance with the normal and expected practices of a competent funeral director."