Former funeral director Robert Bush is in court in Hull for the first day of his sentencing hearing having pleaded guilty to 67 offences including preventing the burials of 30 people and admitting to giving families the wrong ashes.

Today, Hull Crown Court is hearing family statements from the families of those affected. The sentencing is expected to last at least five days.

As he arrived this morning with his face covered, Bush told reporters he was “sorry", but families say they are appalled he apologised to the journalists, but not to them.

It’s been an emotional morning in court, with family members comforting one another on the benches as the harrowing family statements have been read out.

Byron Lill spoke about the guilt he felt about his mother.

"She protected us our whole lives and I couldn't repay her," he said.

In another statement, from Christina George about her brother Raymond Dagnall, she said she thought she had scattered his ashes at Bridlington Harbour, as per her brother’s wishes.

She told the court the discovery had made “me feel sick and the hairs prickle on the back of my neck”.

The court is on a break for lunch at the moment. We will be continuing to bring you the family statements throughout the afternoon.

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

"My sister wasn't just a body, she was a loved family member," the court heard in a statement read on behalf of Sandra Spamer.

Her sister Maureen Graham died in August 2024, and Spamer said she was left "completely shattered" to find out she had still not been cremated seven months later.

Spamer says she was told by Legacy that the cremation had taken place and that her son even received some ashes.

The statement reads: "Instead of remembering my sister with fond memories, I am left with distressing thoughts about how she was treated.

"It upsets me greatly that Maureen was not treated with the dignity and respect that everybody deserves.

"I feel angry, heartbroken and a deep sense of injustice that a man in a trusted position would do this to families for his own gain."

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

After hearing a number of victim impact statements this morning, the judge tells the court we will break now until 2pm.

Bush has been sent away and family members are leaving court.

We'll continue to recap the key lines from the courtroom before it took its break.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The daughter of Shirley Wright sounds upset and angry as she says what Bush did was "evil".

Jayne Rimmington is another family member who has spoken of the guilt they feel now at having used Legacy Independent Funeral Directors.

“The thought of mum laying there all this time, almost six months. Horrific pictures came into my mind of what she would look like, and they wouldn't go away. They still don't,” she says.

Rimmington adds: “Even when I collected what I believed to be mum’s ashes, I trusted him, I believed his excuses."

She says: “I accepted what he said, I trusted him. He stood there smiling, handing me the box, when she was still laying there, rotting away.”

Several people today say they feel they have let their loved ones down, which has added to the grief and shock they feel about what they've had to go through.

Rimmington says a collection for Cancer Research was done at her mum’s funeral, but the charity says it never received the money.

“We feel so cheated that they never received it,” she tells the court.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Bush seems to be looking at Vicky Mitchell as she speaks in court.

She has been incredibly upset and has had to pause several times. Lots of family members are being supported as they stand up in court and speak about what's happened to them.

Some family members have come to court today to read out their own statements while others have had theirs read out by lawyers here.

The family members speaking have been getting overwhelmed by emotion at times and people listening in court have been crying.

But hearing the stories read out by the lawyers are just as emotional for everyone listening. Each story is devastating and sad

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

"When I first received the knock at the door, it was unreal, I didn’t really take it in at first," begins David Gorbutt's victim impact statement, this time read out on his behalf.

Gorbutt used Legacy for his wife Susan's cremation, and says he felt "abused" when he found out he had scattered the wrong ashes near to the Humber Bridge.

The statement reads: "I feel sad and disappointed, but mostly guilty because I was unable to fulfil my wife’s last request, that I deal with her death quickly and arrange her cremation as quickly as possible at her request, because as Susan would say, 'You know I do not like the cold'."

Gorbutt's statement says that what happened to his wife would have been "her worst nightmare".

It adds: "It is hard to believe a person needs more permits to sell burgers than to deal with the dead.

"Learning the funeral director’s industry is unregulated makes me feel angry.

"Why were no checks made and nobody raised any alarms before this?"

The statement concludes: "There is no defence he can offer that will make any difference to how I feel."

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

David Gorbutt's statement is now read out by a lawyer and mentions the lack of regulation of the funeral industry.

Ashes which he believed were his wife Susan's were scattered in the place where her son's had been, but it later transpired the ashes were not those of Susan Gorbutt.

The judge in court asks the lawyers about this now.

We know that this is something the families want to hear more about. Many outside court were holding QR codes which link to a petition calling on the government to regulate the industry

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

More now from Byron Lill, who delivered his victim impact statement to court earlier.

He said he drives past the Legacy premises to work "every day".

"Knowing now that Mum was laying inside for almost eight months destroys me. I was physically so close to her.

"Knowing she was still laying there when Bush smiled and handed me a box, he said were her ashes, when she was still only a matter of feet from me, I just can’t accept."

Lill's mother, Muriel Winning, died after a "courageous battle with cancer", he told the court.

He went on to say: "She protected us her whole life from mistreatment, and it feels that the one time I could repay her and protect her, I couldn’t.

"Bush took this away from me."

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Ten benches are full of family members here in court.

Several family representatives are going back to take their place on the bench after delivering their statements to hear the next people speak.

On the benches, people are comforting each other

In the dock, Robert Bush is now sitting with his head lowered so we can't see his face.

But I've seen some family members turning round in court to try and get a glimpse of him

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

A statement has been read in court on behalf of Karen King in relation to using the funeral service for her father, 94-year-old Norman Bridger.

The statement reads: “I felt grateful to dad that he had arranged a funeral plan so we did not have to worry about payment, but even this would be a lie.

“I feel so cheated for him. Bush just took advantage of him, keeping the money for himself."

King, who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer when her father died, adds in the statement: "My lovely dad lay in a cardboard coffin for months. It feels he was just forgotten."

The statement concludes: "I gave Robert Bush a bottle of port to thank him for taking care of dad.

"The smile on his face as he accepted will always haunt me."

Through floods of tears, Christina George read out her personal victim statement after the body of her brother, Raymond Dagnall, who was a fisherman, was found “left on a rack wearing a soiled hospital gown and still with hospital tubes in his body”.

George thought she had scattered the ashes of her brother at Bridlington Harbour, as per her brother’s wishes.

She told the court the discovery had made “me feel sick and the hairs prickle on the back of my neck”.

“He [Bush] turned our world upside down. I really want him to know that. There can never be a good enough reason for what he has done. Why?”

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

As every person stands up in court to speak about the impact Bush has had on them, other people in court are crying and wiping away tears.

Bush seems to be showing no emotion as he watches and listens to what people have to say about what he has done to them and the way it is still affecting their mental health.

Many family members live and work near the Legacy building on Hessle Road and have spoken about how hard it is for them to have to walk past even to this day, knowing what happened to their loved ones inside the building.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The judge has told Christina George he thinks her brother would be proud of her and checks she has someone with her in court.

As she sits down, people can be heard crying and more tissues have been passed around among the families sitting here in court.

The judge then comments with apparent sympathy to the court that he has noticed that many of the family members here have spoken of how guilty they feel.

He points out that it's not their responsibility, but it's clearly a feeling shared by many of the victims here in court.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

This week in court is about the families having their say.

Several so far this morning have chosen to stand up in court and tell everyone - including Bush himself - how they have been affected by what happened.

Christina George has had to keep stopping as she is very emotional.

She has apologised several times and the judge has told her to take her time.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Christina George, sister of Raymond Dagnall, is reading her statement out.

As she begins to talk about her brother, she has to pause as she becomes emotional.

She is crying and keeps apologising to the court.

George tells the court that she trusted Bush.

She and Byron Lill, who spoke earlier, have said they felt they let their loved ones down by using Legacy Independent Funeral Directors once they found out what had been happening.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Byron Lill had to pause at times when he read his statement out. Several people in court are wiping tears from their eyes and one stood up and walked out while Lill spoke.

The judge in this sentencing hearing is interrupting the lawyer speaking every now and then.

He is trying to make sure he is clear of the details.

He just checked in with Lill that his wife is here in court with him after he became clearly distressed when he was reading out his statement.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Byron Lill is speaking to the court now. His voice is cracking as he talks about his mum, Muriel Winning.

"She protected us our whole lives and I couldn't repay her," he says.

Someone in the public gallery is now audibly crying and others are wiping their eyes with tissues. Several people in court can be heard crying as Lill reads out his statement.

Robert Bush is staring in front of himself or looking down as many people in court are crying or shaking their heads as they listen.

He seems to be showing no emotion.

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

A victim statement has been read out in court by Kathryn Howard, who used Legacy Funeral Directors after her partner, John, died from cancer.

She says she was recommended the funeral company by a friend and her "world fell apart all over again" when she found out his body could be one of those involved in the investigation.

She tells the court: “I was left not able to sleep, not eating properly, depressed and anxious over everything.

"How could I trust anyone again?"

Howard adds: "When I'm alone at night I think constantly, picturing John in that place when he should have been resting in peace.

"I feel like I've let John down - by choosing Legacy, by trusting Rob Bush."

She says an apology "would not be enough for me" and wanted Bush to know that she will "never, ever, get over this".

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Bush is staring ahead as the barrister has started to read out statements on behalf of the families he has affected.

At one point, he looked down but is mainly staring straight ahead.

In the public gallery, many people are holding tissues. Others are clutching each other's hands.

One man's leg is constantly moving up and down while the court listens to details of what Bush has done.

Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC previously told the court that up to 240 victim impact statements relating to the former funeral director’s conduct would be provided to the court prior to today's sentencing hearing.

He said that the fraudulent trading related to funeral plans involving "over 150 individuals".

The sentencing hearing of Robert Bush is expected to last at least five days.

Bush previously admitted 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial.

Image source, PA Media