A funeral director, branded as “pure evil” by those he victimized, had his heartless treatment of deceased individuals’ remains brought to light following a casual remark made by one of his employees.
Robert Bush, operating Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, allowed bodies to decay for extended periods and provided grieving families with incorrect ashes, sometimes even displaying a grin. He is now awaiting sentencing for 67 offenses committed over a 12-year period, with the court set to review more than a hundred impact statements from victims.
The court was informed on Monday that Bush’s misdeeds came to the surface in March 2024 when he traveled to Arizona, USA, for a vacation with his daughter. During his absence, he reached out to Gary Pickering and Steve Emmerson of Evergreen Funeral Directors, seeking assistance with a body recovery task.
Upon learning of Bush’s directive to avoid bringing bodies back to Legacy or placing them in the refrigerated area, Patrick Moore, a casual worker at Legacy, alerted Pickering and Emmerson. Moore expressed concerns about odors emanating from the fridge, prompting suspicions about Legacy’s operations.
Moore disclosed to Pickering and Emmerson that numerous bodies had been stored at Legacy for years, leading to a disturbing discovery of 29 bodies in varying stages of decomposition. Shocked by the scene, the duo persuaded Moore to grant them access to Legacy’s premises on Hessle Road, where they were further appalled by the conditions inside.
During a subsequent police search at Bush’s establishment, numerous human bodies were found in a cold storage area, some in decomposed states, with hospital bracelets and personal effects scattered around. Notably, the remains of Jasmine Beverley’s stillborn son, Sunny, were discovered, contradicting the belief that he had received a proper funeral and cremation.
Bush, accused of betraying grieving families on a massive scale by delaying cremations, mishandling ashes, defrauding funeral plan funds, and pilfering charity donations, faces sentencing at Hull Crown Court over five days, with testimonies expected from over 100 victims. Bush, previously residing in Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, now resides in Otley, West Yorkshire, and remains in custody.