A funeral director branded as “pure evil” by his victims had his heartless treatment of deceased individuals exposed following a casual remark made by one of his employees.
Robert Bush, who ran Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was found to have allowed bodies to decay for extended periods and provided grieving families with incorrect ashes, sometimes even smiling during the deceitful acts. He is now awaiting sentencing for 67 offenses committed over a 12-year period, with more than a hundred victim impact statements scheduled to be presented in court.
The uncovering of Bush’s misconduct occurred in March 2024 when he traveled to Arizona, USA for a vacation with his daughter. During his absence, he approached Gary Pickering and Steve Emmerson from Evergreen Funeral Directors for help with body retrieval. This led to Patrick Moore, a part-time worker at Legacy, revealing Bush’s instruction to avoid bringing bodies back to Legacy or storing them in the refrigeration area due to foul odors emanating from the facility.
Moore, in a spontaneous disclosure to Pickering and Emmerson, disclosed that bodies had been left at Legacy for years, sparking suspicions about the operations at the funeral home. Upon further investigation, Moore counted 29 bodies on the premises, likening the scene to a horror movie and expressing concern over the illegality and prolonged storage of the bodies.
Subsequently, Pickering and Emmerson convinced Moore to allow them entry into Legacy’s premises on Hessle Road, where they were appalled by the condition they found. They immediately alerted the police, who, upon arrival, discovered numerous uncovered decomposing bodies, along with personal effects and evidence of putrefaction in the storage area.
One disturbing find was a paper bag containing the remains of a stillborn baby, identified as Sunny, belonging to Jasmine Beverley, who had been led to believe her child had been properly handled and cremated. Bush’s egregious actions, which included keeping bodies beyond reasonable periods, issuing incorrect ashes, defrauding clients of funeral plans, and pilfering charity funds, shattered the trust of numerous grieving families.
The sentencing proceedings at Hull Crown Court are expected to last five days, during which over a hundred victims will have the opportunity to share their experiences. Bush, previously residing in Kirk Ella, East Yorkshire, but now in Otley, West Yorkshire, is currently in custody awaiting his fate.