July 31, 2026
Robert Bush, the former Hull funeral director, has been sentenced at Hull Crown Court to 20 years.
This is one of the country’s most extensive, complex and serious cases in recent times. The case involved the prosecution of a funeral director for a decade of offending and an unprecedented number of charges.
Mr Bush pleaded guilty to a total of 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful burial and 37 fraud offences. The offending impacted upon hundreds of families.
The offences related to the prevention of the lawful and decent burial of 30 bodies found at his business premises who should have been cremated as well as fraudulent trading involving more than £500,000 worth of funeral plans, and the theft of charitable donations made in memory of loved ones to organisations including Macmillan Cancer Support, The Salvation Army, RNLI and Help for Heroes.
Further offending related to fraud by false representation in relation to a further 57 sets of ashes. The fraud offences also included handing unidentified ashes to the parents of four babies who died before birth.
Christopher Paxton KC and Steven Ball prosecuted the case, instructed by Stephen Abigail of the Serious Economic, Organised Crime and International Directorate, Crown Prosecution Service.
Christopher Paxton KC is a leading silk who is regularly instructed in complex and high-profile criminal cases. In 2024, he was nominated for Crime and Extradition Silk of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards.
Steven Ball prosecutes and defends in a wide range of serious criminal matters, including organised crime, fraud and sexual offences. He is recognised as a Led Junior and Leading Junior in the 2025 Legal 500.
News stories:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jul/31/hull-funeral-director-robert-bush-jailed
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg35errde5o
