Funeral director jailed 20 years in landmark Hull case

Humberside Police removed 35 bodies and a quantity of ashes from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull after launching an investigation in March 2024 after concerns were raised about care for the deceased. Robert Bush, 47, formerly of Kirk Ella in East Yorkshire, was jailed for 20 years in Hull.

Bush was charged with 64 offences in April 2025 and later pleaded guilty to 30 counts of preventing a lawful burial, a charge that captured only part of the misconduct that families said had left them searching for answers about cremations, ashes and the treatment of bodies held by the firm.

Police contacted 163 families about the return of ashes recovered from Legacy Independent Funeral Directors. Some families had been given the wrong ashes, while corpses were retained for months. Charity donations were stolen, and Bush spent more than £42,000 on holidays.

At Hull Crown Court, victims described Bush as a con man and some attended court to hear the judge’s remarks. In sentencing, the court heard that he had betrayed families on an industrial scale, and the remarks praised the police investigation while noting the unusual challenge of accommodating large numbers of affected families at court and at a remote venue. The case was one of the largest and most complex investigations in Humberside Police history.

Emma Hardy, the local MP, said Bush’s actions had shaken the community and caused trauma for families.