Home / Crime and Justice / Funeral Director Guilty of Empty Coffins
Funeral Director Guilty of Empty Coffins
2 Apr
Summary
- Director admitted presenting families with stranger's ashes.
- Empty coffins were used during services while bodies were stored.
- He pocketed £1,600 per cremation that never happened.
Robert Bush, 48, has pleaded guilty to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial and one of theft. He admitted to a campaign of deceit at Legacy Funeral Directors in Hull, East Yorkshire, where families mourned over empty coffins and received stranger's ashes. During funeral services, bodies were stored in refrigerators while coffins were empty. Bush pocketed £1,600 for cremations that never took place and stole charitable donations.
The crimes came to light when police discovered a significant number of human remains on-site, including those of four babies lost in pregnancy. Investigators found bodies with hospital wristbands still attached. Over 1,000 families contacted the police, leading to the identification of 252 victims. Bush had also duped families into buying funeral plans between May 2012 and March 2024.
Families expressed deep distress, with one victim stating she feels "physically sick" and suffers from PTSD, haunted by the possibility of kissing an empty coffin. The scandal has prompted urgent calls for new laws to regulate the funeral industry, which is described as the "Wild West" due to low-cost, unregulated services. Bush was in financial distress when he committed these offenses.
