A mother took legal action to prevent her dying daughter's wish to be cremated from being fulfilled, and then allegedly failed to attend the funeral. Holly McGee, 22, passed away from a malignant brain tumour in January 2026. Before her death, while living with her sister Denise Rennie, 37, she wrote in diaries and notebooks expressing her desire not to be buried, according to court proceedings.
Despite these documented wishes, her mother Carol McGee, a self-proclaimed psychic from Erskine near Glasgow, initiated legal proceedings against Denise to stop the cremation and enforce a burial. The judge at Glasgow Sheriff Court ruled in favour of Holly's wish for cremation. The funeral took place on May 26, but Carol allegedly did not attend.
Denise, a carer from Renfrew near Glasgow, described the court battle as making her ill. She said she has been referred for immediate medical help due to the trauma she experienced. Holly, a care worker from Erskine, was diagnosed with a brain tumour after suffering headaches and eyesight problems. Surgeons could not remove the entire tumour, and she was moved to palliative care before dying on January 24, 2026.
The judgment by Sheriff Kevin McCarron noted that Holly and her mother had a disagreement in hospital in early 2025 and never reconciled afterward. Denise recalled Holly telling her in summer 2025 that she did not want to be buried, finding the thought of going into the dirt creepy. Denise received a court order from her mother and stepfather Jim on February 26, 2026, expressing their wish for a burial.
After a three-day trial in April, the court ruled for cremation. Denise expressed confusion over why her mother pursued the court case and then failed to attend the funeral. Sheriff McCarron stated that Holly made her wishes clear enough, and they must be respected, despite causing pain to those who opposed cremation.
Denise claimed her mother spent £75,000 on the case, though this figure is unconfirmed. She criticized her mother's actions, saying there is no maternal bone in her body. Carol declined to comment beyond suggesting people read the court transcripts.
