Dave Higgens

A sentencing hearing at Hull Crown Court heard that funeral director Robert Bush abused grieving families over more than a decade through Legacy Independent Funeral Directors. Bodies were allegedly left for months in poor conditions, wrong ashes were given to families, funeral plans were not arranged, charity donations were stolen and an unborn baby was found in a paper bag. Families described the distress of discovering that ashes used in jewellery or intended for tattoos belonged to strangers. The misconduct was uncovered after Bush asked rival funeral directors to help recover a body while he was abroad; their investigation led to a police report and the discovery of 29 bodies in varying states of decomposition. The court also heard that more than £3 million entered Bush’s business and personal accounts between 2017 and 2024, with nearly £880,000 spent or transferred to his wife, Vikki Bush.