Crooked funeral director Robert Bush in bid to appeal against prison sentence

A former funeral director who admitted to hoarding bodies and giving relatives the wrong ashes has applied to appeal against his 20-year prison sentence.

Robert Bush was jailed in July for 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful burial, after breaching his customers’ trust “on an industrial scale” for 12 years.

But the undertaker is now seeking permission to appeal against his sentence, the Press Association understands.

Bush admitted to crimes which affected hundreds of victims, with 31 decomposing bodies found at his funeral parlour, Legacy, and families left forever in the dark as to whether they had received the right ashes.

Funeral director Robert Bush is appealing against his sentence (Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA)

PA Wire

His sentencing hearing also heard from some of the 226 pensioners who said they had been “conned” out of what little savings they had after being sold fake funeral plans by Bush.

Sentencing the 48-year-old, senior judge Mr Justice Hillard said he had “never known offences affect so many people so deeply”.

After Bush was jailed, many of the family members who packed the public gallery in court said the prison term was not long enough, with one branding it “atrocious”.

Joanne Moody, whose father Peter Moody was one of 31 bodies found at Legacy, said after the hearing: “It’s a joke, he’s going to be out in 10 years.

“There’s no justice for any of us…we’re not going to get closure.”

Jasmine Beverley, whose unborn baby’s remains were found on the floor of Bush’s Hull premises, has told the BBC she is “troubled” that victims may have to “relive the hurt they have already experienced” in the event of an appeal hearing.

Tristan Essex, grandson of Jessie Stockdale, whose body was also discovered at Legacy, told the broadcaster he is “absolutely disgusted” by Bush’s application to appeal, which has added “cruelty to our suffering”.

Bush will find out the result of his application to the Court of Appeal at a later date.