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Robert Bush lodges bid to appeal against sentence

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The legal challenge follows the discovery of dozens of human remains at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, where police found bodies left unrefrigerated for months and an infant stored in a paper bag. The 48-year-old previously sent letters to affected families expressing regret and apologizing for his actions. Relatives have criticized the timing of the application, particularly as authorities are actively working to confiscate his illicit earnings under Proceeds of Crime legislation. The Court of Appeal will determine at a later date whether to grant a hearing for the case.

Key points

  • Grieving relatives condemned the application as an insult that prolongs their emotional s…: Grieving relatives condemned the application as an insult that prolongs their emotional suffering and trauma.
  • The appeal bid is moving forward alongside active Proceeds of Crime proceedings aimed at…: The appeal bid is moving forward alongside active Proceeds of Crime proceedings aimed at seizing illicit assets.
  • Judges at the Court of Appeal must still decide whether to officially grant a hearing for…: Judges at the Court of Appeal must still decide whether to officially grant a hearing for the requested sentence reduction.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

Victims of the Legacy funeral scandal say it is an "insult" Hull undertaker Robert Bush has lodged an application to appeal against his 20-year prison sentence.

Bush, 48, admitted keeping 30 bodies after their funerals, presenting families with the ashes of strangers and selling fake funeral plans.

He pleaded guilty to 67 separate offences and was sentenced in July 2026.

Humberside Police said it had been notified by the Criminal Appeal Office at the Royal Courts of Justice and added "any decision regarding the appeal will be a matter for the courts".

In August, Bush wrote to families impacted by his crimes to express regret and say he was "deeply sorry".

Prosecutors said he ran a "shambolic and chaotic" funeral business at premises on Hessle Road in Hull and his "appalling" offending had caused "extreme emotional pain, anguish and upset".

His crimes over a 12-year period involved more than 300 victims.

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