Brother sues two older siblings after their mother's body was left unburied in undertakers for FOUR YEARS amid family fight over her hospital Covid death

By MATT STRUDWICK, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:57, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 09:58, 20 July 2026 A brother has sued his two older siblings after their mother's body was left unburied in an undertaker's drawer for four years amid a row over her death in hospital from Covid.  Laura Collins had been on a ventilator for six months in Charing Cross Hospital but died aged 77 in 2022 when it was switched off following complications.  But her eldest son Godfrey, 59, and his sister Joan, 57, blamed medics for their 'God-fearing' mother's death.  Years of delays followed, with the younger siblings being told there was 'a case for prosecuting against the hospital' and that an inquest was pending - but the hearing into her death never actually happened.  It meant the grandmother has been left unburied since her death in 2022, with the family accumulating storage charges of £5,500 and growing at a rate of £20 a day.  Middle son Michael Collins, 49, backed by his other two siblings Cheryl and Clint, has now successfully sued his older brother and sister at London's High Court, with a judge handing him control of his mother's body and her £725,000 estate after she died without making a will. In evidence, he told the court he had been 'messed about' by his two older siblings, with Godfrey replying 'I've got a lot on' to one text from Michael asking about the huge delay in organising their mother's funeral. A judge, Chief Chancery Master Karen Shuman, has now appointed Michael as administrator of the estate, giving him control of his mother's funeral and distributing her money between the siblings.  Laura Collins died in 2022 aged 77 in Charing Cross Hospital after her ventilator was switched off, but her body has been lying in an undertaker's drawer for four years Picture shows Laura's son Michael Collins (centre) outside London's High Court  'There must be one person in charge to allow the family to come together as far as possible in dignity,' said the judge. 'The deceased can now be laid to rest with dignity. That is what ordinary humanity now demands.' The court heard that Calypso-loving Mrs Collins had moved to London from Grenada in the 1960s and raised five children in the capital, working in healthcare to support her family. But when she died older siblings Godfrey and Joan 'were unable to accept that the death of the deceased was not the fault of the hospital caring for her', the judge said. An added complication was a possibility being raised of repatriating Mrs Collins' body to Grenada. An 'extended disagreement between siblings' followed during the years of delay, with Michael in the witness box telling the judge that he had to go to court in the end 'due to being messed about by Godfrey and Joan. 'They wouldn't confirm anything and kept on moving the goalposts,' he said. The court heard that all five siblings had an equal right to deal with their mother's estate - which includes a £725,000 property in West Kensington - under law, as she died intestate. But the judge went on to make an order appointing Michael the sole administrator in the 'unusual' circumstances of the case. 'The unusual and troubling feature of this case is that despite the passage of nearly four years since the deceased's death, no grant has been obtained and more worryingly she has not been buried,' she said. 'I hadn't realised until I looked at the detail of the case how long it had been since the death, but that is actually quite shocking. I find it just remarkable. 'There may be reason why the defendants can't cope with or accept the death of their mother, but that is no reason. This lady is a mother and a grandmother, her body needs to be buried. 'There has been a litany of excuses about what was being done. It was suggested there was an inquest, but there wasn't an inquest.' She added: 'Almost four years have passed since her death. The body remains in storage. That situation is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. 'I find that the delay was caused by, or mainly caused by, Joan and Godfrey and the result has been one of paralysis. Pictured (from left to right) are siblings Clint, Michael and Cheryl Collins 'This is not an ordinary case of siblings disagreeing...The result has been stalemate, indignity for the deceased's body and suffering for her family and friends.' She went on to order the body to be buried in a Catholic graveyard in London, 'with the exact church to be chosen by Michael'. Michael is to fund the funeral, but to reclaim the costs from the estate. He is also to pay off the £5,500 storage charges, then reclaim them from Joan and Godfrey's portion of the estate. The legal costs of the case of £53,332 are also to be paid from the older siblings' share of the estate, if not paid first. In a statement outside court afterwards, the younger siblings thanked their lawyers, adding: 'Laura Collins was a mother of five, grandmother of three and a dear friend to many. 'She arrived in the UK in the 1960s and made her home in west London. Laura worked hard to raise her family by working in healthcare and other service industries. She was a kind and hard working woman who was well-loved by all who knew her. 'Despite the racism and hostility she endured during the 1960s to 1980s, she loved living in London and had a real sense of community. 'She enjoyed dancing, music and was god-fearing. She loved soca and calypso music, baking and cooking traditional Caribbean dishes. 'She is missed greatly and we are grateful to Master Shuman for allowing us to lay her body to rest.'