Families Reject Apology From Jailed Hull Funeral Boss

Published: 6 August 2026
The English Chronicle Desk
The English Chronicle Online

Families who suffered unimaginable grief after a disgraced funeral director failed to properly bury or cremate their loved ones have reacted with anger to an apology letter sent by the man responsible.

Robert Bush, the former owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting a series of offences involving the mishandling of human remains, preventing lawful burials, and stealing from charities.

His actions left dozens of grieving families facing further trauma after police discovered bodies and ashes that had been abandoned at his funeral premises.

Following his conviction, Bush issued a written apology to those affected, saying he was “deeply sorry” for the “distress, upset and uncertainty” caused by his actions.

However, several families have rejected the apology, describing it as empty, self-serving and lacking genuine remorse.

Jasmine Beverley, whose stillborn son’s remains were among those discovered at the funeral parlour, said reading Bush’s letter had left her feeling “nothing but anger”.

She told the court that learning her son Sunny Beverley-Conlin’s remains had been found inside the funeral home almost two years after his birth had caused lasting emotional damage.

Sunny was stillborn on 13 May 2022, and his remains were discovered at the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors premises in March 2024 during a police investigation. The court heard that Beverley had previously received ashes from Bush, believing they belonged to her son.

Beverley said Bush’s apology focused too much on the consequences of his actions rather than accepting responsibility for what he had done.

“Reading the letter has left me feeling nothing but anger,” she said.

“It reads as though he is apologising for our reaction and not his actions.”

She said the experience had permanently changed the way she remembered the final goodbye she had tried to give her child.

“I don’t have the luxury of separating my memories of Sunny from what happened,” she said. “The memories I do have are tied directly to the mismanagement of the final act of love I tried to give him — his funeral.”

She added that the events would “haunt me for the rest of my life”.

Bush, 48, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court after admitting 67 offences. These included 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial, as well as theft offences involving 12 charities.

Prosecutors described his funeral business as a “shambolic and chaotic” operation, saying his behaviour had caused “extreme emotional pain, anguish and upset” to grieving families.

Police discovered 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes during their investigation into the Hessle Road funeral home.

Another victim, Tristan Essex, said Bush’s apology letter had made him “absolutely disgusted”.

His grandmother, Jessie Stockdale, was among the bodies found at the premises. Essex said her body remained at the funeral home for five months after her funeral was supposed to have taken place.

He said the experience had permanently damaged his memories of his grandmother.

“It’s like he’s mocking and tormenting us,” Essex said.

“Clearly, he is not sorry for the actions he chose. He’s sorry for the consequences of his actions.”

Essex criticised the wording of the letter, claiming it appeared more focused on Bush himself than on the families affected.

“It’s all about him,” he said. “It is hardly an apology.”

Natalie Smith, whose grandfather Norman Bridger was also among the bodies discovered at Legacy, described the letter as a “tick box exercise”.

She said she felt disbelief when she received the message and believed it lacked genuine emotion.

“There was no real substance, no emotion, nothing,” Smith said.

“They’re just words and there was nothing behind them.”

Smith added that she would never forgive Bush for the impact his actions had caused.

In his letter, Bush acknowledged that many families had trusted him during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

“I recognise that what happened has caused distress, upset and uncertainty for many families,” he wrote.

“I am deeply sorry.”

He said he accepted responsibility for his failures and admitted he should have acted differently and sooner.

“I do not expect forgiveness,” he wrote. “Nor do I write this letter in the hope of reducing the seriousness of what has happened.”

Bush also said he understood that some people would never accept his apology.

“I respect that some people may never wish to accept my apology. That is entirely understandable,” he wrote.

However, families affected by the scandal said the apology failed to address the full scale of their suffering.

Many said the damage went beyond the loss of trust in a funeral director. They described losing the opportunity to properly mourn their loved ones and having important memories of funerals permanently affected.

The case has raised wider concerns about oversight and regulation within the funeral industry, particularly regarding how vulnerable grieving families are protected when they place their trust in funeral providers.

Funeral directors are often given responsibility for people’s loved ones at a time when families are experiencing deep emotional distress. The Legacy case has highlighted the devastating consequences when that responsibility is abused.

The investigation also sparked questions about whether stronger monitoring systems are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authorities have encouraged anyone affected by bereavement-related issues or struggling after the revelations to seek support.

For families connected to the Legacy scandal, however, the consequences will continue long after Bush’s prison sentence begins.

While the former funeral director has expressed regret, many victims say the apology cannot restore what was taken from them — the chance to say goodbye properly and preserve peaceful memories of those they lost.

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