Callous funeral director who stacked up rotting bodies and gave grief-stricken families strangers’ ashes is jailed

A FUNERAL director who stockpiled dead bodies and gave their grief-stricken families ashes belonging to strangers was today jailed for 20 years. Greedy Robert Bush, 48, raked in over £3.5million during an 11-year con which targeted hundreds of families at their most vulnerable. Bush, 47, was charged following a huge investigation into his funeral home Credit: Reuters Bush paid himself a huge wage while operating his con He sold non-existent funeral packages, reused “scratched and dented” coffins and even trousered charity whip-rounds. Profits were prioritised over people and relatives duped “on an almost industrial scale” so he could continue living the high-life. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! After a five day sentencing hearing he finally learned his fate today as a judge said “I have very much in mind all those who have suffered in a variety of different ways from the defendant’s crimes.” He continued: “Mr Bush took any and every opportunity through the course of his work to enrich himself… to the indignity of others.” Police recovered human ashes and found 35 bodies that had been ‘left to rot’ Bush pleaded guilty to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial Credit: PA Sentencing Bush to a total of 20 years behind bars, Mr Justice Hilliard said: “I have no doubt that defendant behaved in such a deceitful way because of financial greed. “He must unfortunately have a heartless side to him too which enabled him to treat the living and the dead in the way that he did.” The judge added: “The defendant was so preoccupied with his own enrichment that he behaved in a shocking and disgraceful way to the deceased entrusted to his care and his behaviour to their living relatives was characterised by dishonesty, deception and heartlessness. “If he could reuse a coffin paid for by someone else he would have done.” Most read in The Sun Judge Hilliard KC said Bush’s offending was an “affront to public dignity” and a “gross breach of trust”. Hull Crown Court was told how Bush discarded and abandoned bodies at his funeral home in the city and left them to rot whilst he lived the high-life. During the scam Bush paid himself a whopping £162,000 a year and transferred a further £52,000 to his wife, Vicky, to keep more cash from the taxman. He spent thousands on jewellery, enjoyed fine dining and blew a staggering £42,000 more on luxury holidays, flights and hotels. Bush also splashed £21,000 on motorcycle racing and £17,400 on home improvements. He spent a further £95,000 between 2017 to 2024 on areas described by the judge as “non-essential spending”. He sold non-existent funeral packages to grieving families Credit: Humberside Police Bush stored several bodies in various states of decay at his funeral home Credit: PA The fraud “was not spontaneous or reactive” but “a deliberate commercial enterprise” to satsify his own levels of greed. Christina George’s brother Raymond Dagnall, 64, was among the bodies discovered by police during a raid in March 2024. He had been there for a staggering nine months. Speaking through tears she bravely told the court: “Bush would continually use the phrase ‘bless you’. “These words used to sound endearing, peaceful and comforting. “Now they just make me feel sick and the hairs prickle on the back of my neck.” Sandra Samper, whose sister Maureen Graham, 82, was also among the bodies recovered, said: “She wasn’t just a body, she was a loved family member.” Karen King, whose dad Norman Bridger, 94, was stored the longest, said: “My lovely dad lay in a cardboard coffin for almost 11 months. “How could someone be so cruel? It is beyond belief.” Jayne Rimmington, whose mum Shirley Wright, 86, lay undiscovered for five months, said: “It’s a purely evil thing to do.” The family of Colin Wainman, 69, who was recovered from Legacy six months after his death, were given ashes in a cardboard box inside a Hobbycraft plastic bag. His daughter, Vikki Mitchell, wept: “I don’t know how he slept at night knowing what he was doing.” His vile scam was eventually exposed by chance whilst he was sunning himself on a luxury holiday in Arizona, US. He asked another funeral director and his colleague to help one of his staff move a body from a care home. They agreed but were left stunned when his employee suddenly confessed: “You two don’t know the half of it. Bodies have been there for years.” The casual worker described the inside as “a horror scene” with cooling units switched off to cut costs and the smell unbearable. The men accompanied him to the premises to investigate and later flagged down a passing police car to raise the alarm. Bush admitted 30 counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body Credit: PA Bush stored the bodies of 35 people, mostly uncovered and in various states of decomposition at his funeral home Credit: Unknown Cops ventured inside and found a large number of bodies – including the remains of four unborn babies – on racks inside a cold storage area. Prosecutor Chris Paxton KC said: “The vast majority were uncovered and in varying states of decomposition. “There was a further naked body lying on a stretcher on the floor. “In addition, there was one sealed wooden coffin and four sealed cardboard coffins. “Many of the bodies had hospital identity bracelets on their wrists and/or ankles, some had biological hazard bracelets, while others had no identifying markers. “The area was dirty and unkept. There were a number of items on the floor which appeared to have been dropped or swept to the back. “These items included flowers, rings, teddies, and cards with messages. “These items were clearly personal possessions that loved ones would have wanted to stay with their deceased family members.” Bush was arrested by cops at Heathrow Airport shortly after landing back in the UK from a holiday in the US with his daughter, Saskya. He told them: “I f***ed it all up, everything, my whole world.” In interview, police asked him if he had anything to say to the families affected. He replied: “No comment.” His barrister, Richard Wright KC, said: “He has expressed himself to the court, and through the court to the families, as being sorry. “Nothing I can say is intended to dull the families’ pain, anger or the sense of betrayal. “The world has listened quietly as victim after victim after victim of Robert Bush has either come forward to read their own victim personal statements or has had their statements read on their behalf. “He has heard witness after witness castigate his character and heard their entirely understandable anger, pain and outrage, all directed at him. “And, all rightly directed at him. “Dignity in death matters and there can be no hiding from the fact that, by his conduct, Robert Bush has deprived the dead and their families, of that basic dignity.” Mr Wright said Bush had written to the court to apologise – adding: “He offers that apology without qualification and he accepts that responsibility.” Mr Paxton KC said: “He was entrusted by hundreds of bereaved families, in their time of need, to treat their loved ones with dignity. “Yet Mr Bush breached that trust on an almost industrial scale in a myriad of ways. “The financial situation within the business was not dire, but likely mismanaged. “The expenditure reflected Mr Bush’s priorities and not those whom he was meant to be serving. “Mr 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.” At sentencing today the judge told how the conditions inside Legacy were filthy, with clothes intended to be worn by his victims during cremation strewn across the floor. He added: “There was a large quantity of family photographs that had evidently not been placed in coffins as intended. “I have no doubt there was plenty of money to run or repair units if only he had chosen to run it that way. “Husbands and wives, partners, children, grandchildren now discovered they are left with nothing or in some cases we heard an empty plastic bag or a teaspoon of ash the police managed to recover for them.” Bush previously admitted 30 counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body, fraud by false representation and theft of up to £13,500 donated to 12 charities, including The Salvation Army and Macmillan Cancer Support.