Robert Bush, owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, has admitted multiple fraud charges after a 'horror scene' of decomposed bodies was discovered at his premises in March 2024 while he was on holiday in Arizona.
Prosecutor Chris Paxton KC told Hull Crown Court that Bush breached the trust of grieving families 'on an almost industrial scale' over nearly 12 years. He sold funeral plans without authorization, failed to bury or cremate bodies, falsely claimed he had done so, and stole cash donations intended for charities.
Discovery of the 'Horror Scene'
The scale of Bush's offending came to light when he was in Arizona and contacted Gary Pickering and Steve Emmerson of Evergreen Funeral Directors for help with a body recovery. Patrick Moore, a casual worker for Legacy, assisted them but warned 'not to bring anyone back to Legacy or help put a body into the fridge area'. Moore later counted up to 29 bodies, describing it as a 'horror scene'.
Emmerson and Pickering persuaded Moore to let them into Legacy's site on Hessle Road. Shocked at what they saw, they flagged down a police car. Officers found bodies stored on racks in a cold storage area, mostly uncovered and in varying states of decomposition, including a stillborn baby.
Financial Misconduct
Between March 2017 and April 2024, over £3 million was paid into Bush's business and personal accounts, but the turnover reported to HMRC did not reflect this. Bush's 'profligate personal spending' and transfers to his wife accounted for over £879,000. Paxton said: 'The financial situation within the business was not dire, but likely mismanaged, and the expenditure reflected Mr Bush's priorities and not those whom he was meant to be serving.'
Paxton noted that the cost of a single cremation was around £500, yet Bush 'chose not to deal with those bodies entrusted to him but to operate as he chose and spend the money on himself and others'. Gasps were heard in court from family members as details of the scene were described.
