Families watched via video link as Robert Bush appeared in court over claims he gave grieving relatives fake ashes and stole from charity collection boxes
A funeral director accused of leaving 35 bodies to decompose at his premises while handing grieving families fake ashes has made his first court appearance facing a staggering 63 criminal charges.
Robert Bush, 47, spoke only to confirm his personal details as the names of 30 alleged victims were read out at Hull Magistrates’ Court – with some devastated relatives watching proceedings via video link.
The former boss of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors faces accusations spanning more than a decade, including claims he prevented proper burials, defrauded bereaved families, and even pilfered from charity collection boxes meant for cancer patients and lifeboat crews.
In extraordinary scenes outside court, Bush fled through a back entrance wearing dark glasses and a baseball cap, with police providing an escort as angry locals gathered to witness his shame.
The Horror Unfolds: 35 Bodies in Funeral Parlour
The shocking case burst into public view in March when police raided Bush’s Hessle Road premises following reports of “concern for care of the deceased” – a bland description that barely hints at the horror officers discovered inside.
What investigators found sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Hull community: 35 bodies in various states of decomposition, along with quantities of unidentified human ashes that families had been desperately waiting to receive.
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Marshall didn’t mince words when describing the 10-month investigation that followed. He called it “complex, protracted and highly sensitive” – police-speak for one of the most disturbing cases the force has ever handled.
The charges paint a picture of systematic deception on an industrial scale. Bush faces 30 counts of preventing lawful and decent burial relating to bodies recovered between April 2023 and March 2024. Each charge represents a family who thought they’d said their final goodbyes, only to discover their loved one had been left to rot.
‘Did I Kiss an Empty Coffin?’
Even more harrowing are the 30 fraud charges relating to false representations Bush allegedly made to grieving families. Prosecutors claim he promised to “properly care for the remains of the deceased” and arrange prompt cremations, before presenting relatives with ashes he claimed were their loved ones.
The human cost of this alleged deception is heartbreaking. One distraught woman told investigators she now believes she “kissed an empty coffin” at her father’s funeral. Another family revealed they’d had jewellery made from ashes they no longer believe belonged to their relative.
According to police, a staggering 254 victims have been identified in total, with 172 affected by fraudulent funeral plans sold between 2012 and 2024. Another 50 families were allegedly given fake ashes over a seven-year period.
The scale of the operation left even hardened detectives stunned. Within days of launching their dedicated helpline, police received more than 2,000 calls from panicked families desperate to know if their loved ones had been properly laid to rest.
From ‘Family Business’ to House of Horrors
Legacy Independent Funeral Directors had presented itself as a caring family enterprise since its establishment in 2010. The company website, which has since been taken down, boasted of providing a “dedicated and unsurpassed personal service” with “more flexibility and less constraint than our competitors.”
Bush, who listed himself as both owner and funeral director, had expanded from a single branch on Anlaby Road to three locations across Hull and Beverley. The business had even been a member of the National Association of Funeral Directors until mysteriously dropping its membership in 2021.
But behind the professional facade, prosecutors allege, was a cynical operation that preyed on the bereaved at their most vulnerable moments.
Stealing from Cancer Patients and Lifeboats
As if defrauding grieving families wasn’t despicable enough, Bush also stands accused of helping himself to charity collection boxes. The roll call of his alleged victims reads like a who’s who of Britain’s most beloved causes:
- Macmillan Cancer Support
- The Dogs Trust
- The RNLI
- Help for Heroes
- The Salvation Army
In total, 12 charities are named as victims, including local organisations like the Hull Fishing Heritage Charity. It’s claimed Bush systematically raided donation boxes that customers had generously filled while attending funerals.
The Investigation That Shocked Seasoned Detectives
The massive police operation required more than 120 officers and civilian staff, with specialist teams in white forensic suits painstakingly removing bodies from the premises. The National Crime Agency was called in to help identify human remains, while forensic experts worked to determine if recovered ashes were even human.
In a grim twist, police revealed it was “impossible to identify any of the human ashes using DNA profiles” – meaning some families will never know for certain if they received their loved one’s remains.
Hull City Council stepped in to ensure affected families wouldn’t have to pay for new funerals, while checks were hastily carried out at 50 other funeral directors across the area to reassure a traumatised community.
Bail Conditions: Daily Police Check-ins
District Judge Daniel Curtis granted Bush bail but imposed strict conditions that underscore the seriousness of the charges. The accused must report to Bridlington Police Station every weekday – a reminder that while he’s not behind bars yet, his freedom is severely curtailed.
Bush, who’s moved from his former home in upmarket Kirk Ella to Otley in West Yorkshire, will next appear at Hull Crown Court on August 13. If convicted on all charges, he faces the prospect of spending years behind bars.
As he slunk away from court, dodging photographers and angry locals, one thing was clear: the man who once promised to handle final farewells with dignity now faces his own day of reckoning.
For the families left wondering if they ever properly said goodbye to their loved ones, that day can’t come soon enough.
