The owner of Hull’s Legacy Independent Funeral Directors has appeared in court today to face more than 60 charges, which include preventing lawful and decent burial and theft from charities.
Robert Bush, 47, formerly of Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, but now of Otley, near Leeds, faced District Judge Daniel Curtis at Hull Magistrates’ Court charged with a combined total of 63 offences. He was taken into the court through the rear door and was wearing a grey three-piece suit. He spoke only to state his address and his date of birth.
No plea was required to be entered at this hearing and the case has been committed to Hull Crown Court for a first hearing on Wednesday, August 13, before Judge John Thackray KC. Bush has been bailed from court with conditions until this date.
The charges are related to a Humberside Police investigation during which bodies and ashes were removed from funeral parlour premises owned by the director.
They include 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial and 30 counts of fraud by false representation in relation to the deceased recovered from the funeral premises.
These charges were alleged between April 20, 2023 and March 6, 2024. The fraud by false representation charges referred to each deceased person who was named in court.
Thirty of the charges alleged Bush had dishonestly made false representations to the family or friend of each deceased person.
That is, he would properly care for the remains of the deceased in accordance with the normal expected practices of a competent funeral director and arrange for the cremation of those remains to take place immediately or soon after the conclusion of the funeral service.
Each charge also said the fraud was alleged because the ashes presented to the customer were the remains of the deceased person after cremation, knowing that the same was, or might be, untrue or misleading, and intending thereby to make a gain for himself or cause loss to another contrary to section 1 and 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
The defendant appeared on one further charge of fraud in relation to human ashes between August 1, 2017 and March 6, 2024, involving 50 people.
Bush also faced one charge of fraudulent trading in relation to funeral plans between May 23, 2012 and March 6, 2024 involving 172 people. That charge related to carrying on the business of company with intent to defraud creditors for other fraudulent purposes.
This involved allegations that Bush was knowingly party to the carrying on of the business of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors for a fraudulent purpose, namely by marketing and selling ‘funeral plans’ whereby it’s claimed customers were induced to believe that money paid to him would be forwarded by him to a financial institution who would hold that money so that it could be used to pay for funeral arrangements at some future date, whereas the money was allegedly kept by him and used for his own purposes.
The defendant is also accused of one count of theft from charities between September 1, 2017 and March 6, 2024. The charities were named in the charge and related to unknown sums of money destined for Dove House Hospice and Working Independently Supporting Hull Hospitals (WISHH) The Salvation Army, Macmillan Cancer Support, and Cystics of Hull Independent Equipment Fund (CHIEF) which raises money for families with cystic fibrosis patients.
Join our WhatsApp Community for the latest crime news
The list of charities in the theft charge also included The Dogs Trust, Help for Heroes, Maister Lodge, which helps people with mental health problems, Oakwood Dog Rescue, RNLI, Sailors’ Children Society and a Hull Fishing Heritage charity.
There have been a number of memorial services in the city and floral tributes left at sites owned by the business company. Humberside Police first responded to a report late on March 6, 2024 in relation to the business.
It had two branches in Hull and one in Beverley. A scene guard was put in place at the business in Anlaby Road, and on Hessle Road, Hull. Police also investigated the Beverley Beckside premises owned by Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.
Since then extensive enquiries have been carried out with a quantity of ashes and 35 bodies removed from the Hessle Road premises. Humberside Police later confirmed they had identified 163 families linked to the ashes.
Victim Support continues to be available for anyone affected by the incident. If you require support, you can contact them by calling 0808 28 111 36.