It was originally expected to be held at Sheffield Crown Court
Former funeral director Robert Bush leaves Hull Crown Court, on Wednesday October 15, 2025(Image: PA)
The high-profile trial of Legacy funeral director Robert Bush will now be held at Hull Crown Court – and not Sheffield Crown Court, which was originally expected to be the venue. The move back to Hull has been confirmed by court officials following an earlier suggestion that the case could, after all, now be accommodated at the court.
Significant logistical arrangements will need to be made at the Hull court, which has four criminal case courtrooms, and discussions will continue on how the huge challenges likely to be involved can be overcome.
A large number of people are likely to want to attend court but it is expected that many of them might have to watch and listen to proceedings via a video link, probably from other premises. The trial is due to be heard before High Court judge Mr Justice Hilliard, who has already been alerted to the logistical problems involved.
Bush, 47, formerly of Kirk Ella, but recently of East Busk Lane, Otley, West Yorkshire, has denied 31 charges, including preventing lawful and decent burials and one offence of theft from charities. He has admitted 36 fraud-related offences.
Bush, who was involved with the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, entered pleas to 67 charges during his second appearance at Hull Crown Court last year. Two extra fraud charges had been added to the previous ones.
He had originally been due to face an eight-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court on October 5 this year. An earlier hearing was told that Grimsby Crown Court had been ruled out as a venue because it has only two criminal courtrooms,
The guilty pleas could be reported after no restrictions were placed on the publication of those details. There were no objections from the prosecution or defence.
Bush has been allowed conditional bail. He denied 30 charges involving preventing the lawful and decent burial of dead people and he also denied one offence of theft from a series of charities. He admitted 30 offences of fraud by false representation to the families or, in one case, a friend of a deceased person.
He also admitted fraudulent trading and five offences of fraud by false representation to customers of Legacy Funeral Homes or individual people. The prosecution has been represented at hearings by Christopher Paxton KC and Steven Ball and Bush has been represented by Richard Wright KC and Charlotte Baines.