Legacy – the stories that must be told: ‘I just want to know why he treated my mother this way’

Ronald Marsh said: ‘It has knocked our trust in professionals’

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I am writing this statement on behalf of myself, my brother Pete, and our wider family. When the police first came to my address and told us about Mum, I was in complete and utter shock. I think I would have been more likely to believe them if they said Martians had landed.

It was absolute disbelief to say Mum had been found at the funeral home. It was six months after she had passed.

I then had to call my brother Pete, and share the news with our family. Every time we speak of this now with friends, they don’t believe it can be true. We were vaguely aware something had been in the news, but hadn’t appreciated the link, until police arrived and told us Mum was involved.

It hurts more, as the day we were told, was Mother’s Day. It was our first Mother’s Day after Mum passing away, so to be hit then with this devastating news on top of that, was hard to comprehend.

Dealing with Hull City Council, and arranging Mum’s cremation was hard. The lady was compassionate, and offered assurances the cremation would take place – my response to her was that it was what Rob had said to us, and look what happened there.

I struggle to take people at face value now – he held a position of trust, and when people are grieving you do not second guess their motives. You think they are going to help you, and receive the service you have paid for. You give them your loved one, to be treated respectfully.

The service conducted for Mum was well done, and I never speak badly about this aspect. What happened next to Mum is unthinkable. You think you can put your faith in funeral directors, but it has knocked our trust in professionals, like doctors, undertakers and carers. I question if they are all as bad as one another, but that these just haven’t been caught yet.

We cannot understand why no one working there ever spoke up. It seems like nobody in the organisation seemed to care. How can it be that people were left lying there for so long, and there was no respect shown to my Mum, nor the others left behind?

We as a family feel in some ways we are lucky, as we know we got Mum back, and know where her ashes are now. We are aware there are many families who don’t know who’s ashes they have. The one question I want to ask Mr Bush is why did he do this? I just want to know why he treated my mother this way.

Ronald Marsh