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'
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
We’re now hearing about count 67 which relates to the theft from 12 charities.
We heard the details of Bush’s empty promises earlier, in which he told families he’d donate money collected at funerals to their chosen charities, the money never arrived.
Mr Justice Hilliard calls this a “new low”.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
The court is now discussing count 61, which relates to fraudulent trading of Legacy funeral plans over a period of 11 years, in which people invested money.
Prosecutor Steven Ball says Bush had told the victims that the funeral plans were "genuine policies", this related to 172 victims.
The total in relation to this offence is £562,000.
Ball says: “This we submit amounts to sustained dishonest trading rather than an isolated fraud.
“The presence of hundreds of victims materially aggravates this offence."
He describes Bush as the "principal organiser" which "increases seriousness" of this offence.
Ball adds the fraud "was not spontaneous or reactive".
“It was a deliberate commercial enterprise designed by him to generate income and fund his and his family’s personal spending," Ball tells the court.
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
The prosecution is going over the suggested sentence for each of the crimes.
It’s important to keep in mind, Bush faces many counts here.
Occasionally Mr Justice Hilliard picks up a large book, presumably to look at case law.
The judge says he does not want to “diminish” people’s pain by giving some counts greater sentences than others.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
The prosecution is now discussing count 62, which refers to fraud by false representation in terms of 57 sets of ashes that families received.
This relates to the proper care of remains and the return of ashes.
The court acknowledges that some families went to the extent of getting jewellery made before knowing they had a stranger's ashes in them.
Steven Ball says the prosecution had identified culpability matters for this offence including "abuse of position of power or trust or responsibility, the sophisticated nature of offence and significant planning”.
He says "a large number of victims" also comes into the culpability factors.
He told the court the "approximate value of this fraud" was more than £86,000.
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
We’re now hearing more from the prosecution, which is summarising Bush’s crimes and giving their view on the appropriate sentences for each count the judge is considering.
Every so often Bush lifts his head to look forward, but almost immediately he looks back down.
Four key areas have been highlighted: Abuse of power, sophisticated nature and planning of events,fraudulent activity over a sustained period of time and the large number of victims.
"This is an unprecedented case," says prosecutor Steven Ball.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Warning: this case involves distressing details
The ashes of Tommy Foster, which had been entrusted into the care of Legacy, were also examined by the industry expert.
Stacey Foster and her partner Peter Cooke used Legacy to provide services for Tommy's cremation, after he was found without a heartbeat when she was 17 weeks pregnant.
The court hears the industry expert described his ashes as “being human looking” but in “much greater volume than there should have been for age of baby born at that stage”.
He stated the ashes had "larger pieces of bone granules not in keeping with being ashes of a 17-week old baby”.
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
Steven Ball for the prosecution describes Bush's behaviour to the court as a "gross breach of trust”.
He adds Bush's "decision was to override the wishes of those bereaved and grieving and to mislead them as to how their loved ones had been buried and cremated”.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Warning: this case involves distressing details
Lucy Ness used Legacy after she suffered a miscarriage just before she was due to have her 12-week scan in 2021.
She said she treasured the ashes for three years after her baby had been cremated at Chanterlands Crematorium in Hull.
The court now hears evidence from an industry expert who had "observed the set of ashes presented to him with no official crematorium packaging present or identification to identify them as ashes".
This is in relation to Ness's baby.
The court hears he had described these ashes as "coarse and granular," they "looked out of place and shouldn't be there" and in his opinion were "not baby ashes but those of an adult".
He also says some of the ashes also “resembled those of animal remains in terms of size and texture of granules".
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
We’re now hearing about the examination of Lucy Ness’s baby's remains.
Gasps can be heard behind me at this point, as well as audible cries.
Bush has his head hung very low as we hear how the remains were described as course and granular, more so than the other three sets of baby ashes examined.
“They were not baby ashes but ashes of an adult,” the industry expert said.
Cries can be heard behind me now as the prosecution says the texture of some of the contents resembled those of “animal remains” in terms of size and texture.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Warning: this case involves distressing details
The court is hearing more evidence from an industry expert in relation to the ashes of babies which were arranged with Legacy.
Baby Sunny Beverley-Conlin's ashes were "consistent with baby remains in volume but had larger pieces of coarse bones" described as "those you would expect from an adult," the court hears.
"They looked out of place and shouldn't have been there, and "the ashes appeared to be removed and tampered with," the court hears.
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
We’re now hearing about the proper and expected standard of preparation of babies' ashes from the prosecution on behalf of an industry expert.
We’ve been told “particular care” needs to be taken. For example, no payment is taken for babies and children under the age of 16, with the money reimbursed through a fund.
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
Warning: this case involves distressing details
We’re now hearing about what the Legacy building looked like inside.
From damp and mould which spread to coffins, to a “quantity of excrement on the floor” in the laboratory. The cold room was dirty with dried bodily fluids on the floor.
The prosecution continues and we hear a quantity of ashes were found on a desk.
People behind me are crying heavily at this point.
Ashes which should have been returned to loved ones, were instead strewn about in a meaningless manner.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
The prosecution now reads out evidence from Dr Richard Lloyd, a human anatomy centre manager at the University of Cambridge and Cranfield University.
Lloyd investigated Bush's premises on Hessle Road and found that there was "no evidence of regular assessments of the deceased being carried out".
Lloyd also said that Legacy "did not meet industry standards in respect of the cremated remains and ashes of deceased persons" as well as with "the identity of the deceased".
His visual examination of crime scene photographs had also identified "multiple serious failures of professional practice".
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
There are gasps in the gallery as the court hears how bodies were found at Legacy's Hessle Road premises.
It is graphic and people are breathing deeply in court right now.
The prosecution talks about how bodies were found in “varying states of decomposition”.
The prosecution says: “Bodies were simply abandoned... for nature to take its course.”
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
Mr Justice Hilliard has warned the public gallery about the next section which moves into Bush’s failings as a funeral director, he says he needs to hear the details which may be upsetting for some to listen to.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
"Where a burial or cremation has taken place after inquiry but notice is overdue, the registrar must request it and if not received within three days, report to registrar office," Steven Ball tells the court.
The court hears that part of the form was never returned to registrars by Bush and not followed up.
"Why didn’t they come back? What’s the explanation?" Mr Justice Hilliard asks.
The judge also questioned if the regulators had "failed" or if there was "a system of regulation that wasn't followed".
“I know the families are concerned about the regulatory regime.
“There is one but it wasn’t followed", the prosecutor Steven Ball answers.
"They will want to know where they should be directing their anger about this," Hilliard adds.
Ball told the judge there was "no straight answer to that question at this stage".
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
Moving on from the topic of Bush's finances, behind me, in the public gallery, people can be heard weeping as regulation is briefly discussed.
Mr Justice Hilliard is asking about the processes of the funeral industry.
He is told there is “no straight answer” by prosecution as to regulation.
The judge said he knows the families are concerned about the “regulatory regime”.
Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
Mr Justice Hilliard is quizzing Steven Ball the prosecution barrister. He’s asking about record keeping and accounts at Legacy.
“Were there records?” he asks.
Ball turns to look at police who shake their heads and say “nothing”.
The judge asks again: “Does that mean it’s not possible to say who got what?”
“It’s not possible,” says Ball after asking the police to go up and confirm.
“His record keeping left a lot to be desired,” is how this section is summed up.
Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
Prosecution barrister Steven Ball outlines further spending by Bush including a trip to Arizona, which saw him arrested on his return.
It also included more than £2,000 spent on other holidays and further costs spent on motorcycling.
Ball adds a total of more than £95,000 was spent by Bush from 2017 to 2024 on areas Mr Justice Hilliard describes as "non-essential spending".
Sarah-May Buccieri
Reporting from Hull Crown Court
An audible laugh was heard behind me by one member of the public as the prosecution lists Bush's lavish lifestyle.
Mr Justice Hilliard does not want to move on. He says he wants to continue to hear about exactly what Bush spent people’s money on. He says he’s sure the public and families who paid Bush would like to know too.