Robert Bush "caused anguish and pain on a scale beyond comprehension", a judge said
A funeral director who failed to bury or cremate people and gave bereaved relatives the ashes of strangers has been jailed for 20 years.
Some 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes were found by police raiding Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull in March 2024.
Robert Bush admitted 67 offences, including denying 30 people a decent and proper burial, theft from 12 charities, and fraudulent trading over a period of 12 years.
Sentencing him at Hull Crown Court, Judge Justice Hilliard told the former undertaker he had "caused anguish and pain on a scale beyond comprehension".
This story contains details some might find distressing.
The court heard Bush defrauded nearly 200 families out of £500,000 and had acted out of "financial greed".
Hilliard warned that unless a body was one of those recovered by police in 2024 and properly identified, no-one who had used Legacy's cremations services "at any time can be absolutely certain they received the ashes of their loved one".
"He must have a heartless side to him – which allowed him to treat the living and the dead in the way he did, and he was very confident he would get away with what he was doing."
The judge added: "I don't think I have ever known offences affecting so many people and so deeply."
The victims whose bodies and ashes were recovered from Legacy's premises in 2024
The five-day hearing, which began on Monday, heard Bush breached the trust of his customers "on an almost industrial scale".
His victims sobbed as prosecutors revealed graphic details about the "chaotic conditions" found inside the funeral home, including how police found the remains of a stillborn baby in a bag on the floor.
Bodies had been left to decompose, unidentified ashes were left in mouldy boxes, and excrement and bodily fluids were found on the floor, which was also strewn with rubbish and family photographs.
More than 200 victims described the devastating and psychological impact of Bush's crimes, many of them weeping as they read out their statements to the court.
Following sentencing, Joanne Moody, whose father Peter Moody was among the 35 bodies recovered from Legacy, said she felt "really, really let down" by the sentence.
"He's going to be out in 10 years. How is that in any way, shape or form right?"
She told the BBC Bush took "the last bit of dignity" from their loved ones.
"He destroyed it," she said. "Why? Why do it to us?"
The body of Joanne Moody's father, Peter Moody, was among the 35 bodies recovered from Legacy's "appalling" premises
Bush's crimes were discovered by chance while he was on holiday, following a tip-off from two funeral directors from a different firm who had visited the premises.
The 48-year-old was arrested days later when he landed at Heathrow Airport, later telling police he had debts of about £90,000 and a cash flow problem.
However, on Friday the judge said: "There was no problem with Bush's cash flow – the only problem was the direction it was flowing."
Instead of investing in his business to pay for mortuary fridges and the care of the deceased, Bush "chose" to spend the money on holidays, home improvements and his motorcycle racing hobby.
Hilliard said Bush was "preoccupied with his own enrichment".
"If [Bush] could re-use a coffin someone had already paid for, he would do so. If it was cheaper to keep someone in non-refrigerated conditions, he would do that too."
Moment police officers set foot in 'horror scene' funeral home
Police fear further victims in funeral home horror
Following sentencing, Det Sup Al Curtis, of Humberside Police, said it was "just impossible" to put a number on how many people had been affected by Bush's actions.
"The distress and heartbreak that this investigation has caused for families is simply unimaginable, and even after working on this case rigorously over the last couple of years, the sheer impact this has had on our whole community, and further afield, remains unprecedented," he said.
He described it as the "biggest and most complex investigation" in the force's history, with 300 affected victims and the seizure of "3,000 exhibits and 12,000 items of disclosure".
Karen Dry, centre left, and affected bereaved families have been calling for the regulation of the funeral industry
Outside court, Karen Dry, who used Legacy's services for her parents' funerals in 2016 and 2018, called for a public inquiry, adding the funeral industry was "currently in desperate need of strict regulation".
Currently, the funeral industry in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is self-regulating, relying on voluntary codes and inspections by trade associations.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he wanted to ensure "the highest standards" applied to the sector.
He said: "This needs a proper response in terms of the regulation needed, to make sure no family goes through that again.
"People, I think, would assume that the highest standards apply to this area and we've got to make sure that they do apply and that there can't be any repeat of what we've seen."
This video can not be played
Watch: Police officers search Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull
The Department for Health and Social Care has since announced it would develop "proposals for formal regulation of the funeral sector" in order to "ensure better protection for bereaved families".
In a statement, it said it would work with other government departments to "crack down on rogue operators in the funeral sector".
"As part of this work, the Law Commission will undertake a review of the criminal law in relation to the deceased, consider any gaps in existing legal protections and make recommendations on the creation of new offences, if they are needed."
Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Every person in every situation deserves dignity in death, and every bereaved family deserves certainty that their loved ones are being treated with care and respect."
If you have been affected by issues surrounding bereavement, information is available via BBC Action Line, including contact details of organisations that can help.
Council asks for information after two incidents of fly-tipping
Pocklington Mayor’s very personal charity appeal for defibrillators
LIVE Robert Bush sentencing: Disgraced funeral director to learn fate
Victims of ‘ticking timebomb’ cancer die without receiving justice, lawyers say
Grimsby's Zac Shaw dedicates Commonwealth gold medal to late mother
All Aboard with BetterPoints as kids ride FREE this August
Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC
About 60,000 migrants arrive in Ceuta in 24 hours, Spanish territory's leader says
Disgraced funeral boss who failed to bury bodies jailed for 20 years
Infantino 'wrong man' to lead Fifa says Burnham as criticism grows
What your summer reading list says about you
Satellite images show impact of heatwaves and drought on UK landscape
Glasgow gets starring role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day film
'I pay £580 a month to live in a disused care home': Property guardians show us around
Where to see the biggest solar eclipse since 1999
Weekly quiz: Why was a French teenager fined for licking a straw?
How police are trying to divert teen hackers away from crime
Miles of film and a bulb as hot as the sun – projecting The Odyssey
Get news, tips and ideas for your family with our Summer Essential newsletter
Davis and his team return to tackle a complex case
What's the best way to keep your home cool?
A twisty mystery starring Nikki Amuka‑Bird and John Simm
Unmasking the criminals hiding behind deepfakes
About 60,000 migrants arrive in Ceuta in 24 hours, Spanish territory's leader says
Passenger on British Airways mayday flight describes fear and shout of 'I don't want to die'
Disgraced funeral boss who failed to bury bodies jailed for 20 years
Sainsbury's agrees to sell Argos for £120m
Southport killer charged with prison attacks and possessing weapon
Budget to be held in October, Healey announces
'I pay £580 a month to live in a disused care home': Property guardians show us around
Puberty blockers trial can start recruiting children after judge rejects legal challenge
Weekly quiz: Why was a French teenager fined for licking a straw?
Glasgow gets starring role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day film
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
About the Author
