The bosses of a funeral directors firm left a man's body to decompose for over a month in an uncooled mortuary room with water leaking down the walls, a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court has heard.
Shocking Discovery by Enforcement Agents
High Court enforcement agents made a grim discovery when they arrived to repossess the premises of Elkin and Bell Funerals in Gosport, Hampshire, due to unpaid rent and debts. The agents found the bodies of two elderly men in deeply concerning conditions.
Prosecutor Lesley Bates KC told the court: "They felt immediate concern at the circumstances in which the bodies were being kept. Water was coming in through a leak in the roof of the mortuary room, it was running down the walls."
The room lacked refrigeration, with temperatures no different from the rest of the building. The court heard that one of the bodies, that of 87-year-old William Mitchell, showed obvious signs of decomposition after allegedly being stored for 36 days.
Funeral Plans Ignored and Payments Allegedly Misused
Despite William Mitchell having made careful funeral arrangements during his lifetime, including taking out a funeral plan, the defendants had failed to carry out his wishes. The prosecution claimed the defendants had been paid £2,040 for his cremation but had not even ordered a coffin.
Bates stated: "In any properly managed firm of undertakers, there was no good reason why the cremation of the body of William Mitchell should have been subject to any undue delay."
Mitchell's family were reportedly "incredulous" when police informed them his body had not been cremated as expected. Elkin had allegedly told police the cremation was delayed due to non-payment, contrary to evidence presented in court.
Company Insolvency and Additional Charges
The court heard that Elkin and Bell Funerals had been struggling financially almost since its inception in 2019. The company owed substantial debts, including £13,440 in rent arrears and £8,567 for electricity.
Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, deny all charges against them, which include:
- Preventing the lawful burial of a dead body
- Causing a public nuisance
- Carrying on a business fraudulently
Elkin additionally denies charges of forgery relating to a certificate purportedly from the National Association of Funeral Directors and using a false instrument. The trial continues as the jury considers the evidence.
