Funeral Fraudster Motivated by Money, Says Ex-Worker

Patrick Moore, a former employee of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, claims his boss Robert Bush was driven by financial greed. Moore describes how Bush hoarded 30 bodies and over 500 kilograms of human ashes, a scandal that led to his imprisonment. A judge at Hull’s crown court recently sentenced Bush for preventing burials, misdirecting grieving families with incorrect ashes, and embezzling funds from 12 charities, including the Salvation Army and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Moore’s Account of Bush’s Practices

Moore, 65, described his role as a “general dogsbody” at the funeral firm. He stated he was unaware Bush had stored 30 bodies after funerals were held, though he knew of only three deceased individuals on-site. “There was something wrong,” Moore noted, adding that Bush grew anxious during phone calls, likely due to threats of disconnection from his electricity. He would often pawn his laptop for cash, selling anything he could.

“Every time the phone rang, Rob was real jumpy… but I knew that was because he’d been getting phone calls and threats to be cut off from his electric.”

Despite deleted Facebook posts, evidence showed Bush was auctioning a hearse, cars, and even offering a mortuary fridge for free. The ad claimed the fridge “ran cool not cold,” hinting at its questionable state. In May 2024, a county court hearing revealed Bush owed nearly £55,000 in debts, including unpaid cremation fees to local councils. Moore alleged Bush crafted his own coffins to cut costs, sometimes working through the night at the Hessle Road premises.

Industry Warnings and Financial Spree

Local funeral businesses warned Moore about Bush’s unreliability. “Don’t get involved with him, don’t lend cars, don’t supply coffins,” said Kevin Moxon, a former police officer who launched his own funeral home months before the investigation. “The rumour was that you wouldn’t get paid.” Bush, who managed around 2,000 funerals, spent the stolen funds on racing bikes, track events, and luxury holidays. His family home was on a high-value street, and he even traveled to Los Angeles in March 2024 to watch motorcycle races.

“Rob was in America and I was looking after things for about four days,” Moore said. “He said if anybody comes just don’t answer the door. Simple as that, that was what I got.”

The scandal emerged when Moore, using a borrowed stretcher, retrieved a body from a nursing home. Two men who collected the stretcher spotted the disarray inside Legacy’s premises. One checked the fridge, confirming the grim state of the remains. “They had seen it shouldn’t be like this,” Moore recalled. The incident prompted a police call, leading to the discovery of 35 bodies and half a tonne of ashes. Thirty-one of the remains belonged to families who had already conducted funerals, believing their loved ones had been cremated. Over 100 households received ashes of strangers, including the infant Sunny Beverley-Conlin, who was born prematurely in May 2022.

The Unraveling of a Scandal

Moore’s testimony was pivotal in the investigation, marking one of the most complex cases in Humberside Police history. While he had previously questioned Bush’s methods, the boss always had a ready excuse. “He was good at that,” Moore admitted. The investigation uncovered how Bush’s financial recklessness had hidden the true state of his business, until his absence in America exposed the rot.

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