Grieving daughter left suffering nightmares of 'the bodies found in Auschwitz' after discovering father's body was still in horror funeral parlour

By GLEN KEOGH, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 18:15, 28 July 2026 | Updated: 18:17, 28 July 2026 A woman whose father was stored in a dirty funeral parlour while an undertaker claimed he had been cremated told a court the horrors behind its doors reminded her of ‘bodies found in Auschwitz.’ Robert Bush, 48, is being sentenced for 67 offences related to preventing the lawful and decent burial of 30 bodies and defrauding grieving families who had paid for funeral services. He even stole from charity collection boxes for the likes of Macmillan Cancer Support and Help for Heroes which were set up by mourning families at services he helped to organise. Hull Crown Court has heard that Bush stockpiled bodies at his Legacy Independent Funeral Directors business in Hull while continuing to take cash from grieving families. He then presented dozens of victims with the ashes of strangers rather than their loved ones. On the second day of an unprecedented five-day sentencing hearing – designed to give as many of his 226 known victims as possible the chance to face him in court – Tina Thames described how Bush dealt with her adoptive father, Jim Porter. Mr Porter died aged 80 in January 2024. His funeral was held on February 2 of that year with Legacy, with Bush reassuring the family that the body would be cremated later that day or early the next. On the day of the funeral, Ms Thames had concerns that the coffin looked too small for Mr Porter, who had broad shoulders. She also noted that it was looked cheap or made of plywood. When Legacy was raided by police in March 2024 following a tip-off from a member of staff who told a separate funeral business that bodies had been on the premises ‘for years’, Mr Porter’s body was found. A court artist drawing of funeral director Robert Bush in the dock at Hull Crown Court where he is being sentenced for 67 offences Bush arrived at the court on Monday morning wearing a scarf over his face. He was later remanded into custody His hospital identification bands were still on his wrists and ankle. In a victim impact statement, Ms Thames told the court: ‘When Dad adopted us, he gave us the gift of a good life. This was our chance to repay that gift. ‘This was the last thing I could do for him. I trusted Robert Bush to help us fulfil this. His office was full of thank you cards. I even considered sending him a card myself. ‘I feel deceived by him. It was all a sham. When the police told me there was a possibility that Dad was still at Legacy, I was devastated. ‘I had nightmares and thoughts of bodies, just piled up, came into my mind. The only way I can describe it is like seeing images of the bodies found in Auschwitz during [World War Two]. ‘My mind felt in overdrive. The thought of what was happening there is horrific and so difficult to fully understand.’ As well as the bodies found at Legacy, the court heard Bush committed fraud in relation to 57 sets of ashes – including 46 families who were given the wrong ashes, and 11 families who were never given any at all. Prosecutor Chris Paxton KC said the total monetary value of this fraud was £86,868. The court has already heard there was an ‘element of profligate personal spending’, with Bush paying almost £900,000 paid to his wife, Vikki.  More than £3million was paid into Bush’s business and personal accounts between 2017 and 2024, however this did not reflect the turnover reported to HMRC. Jim Porter's body was recovered from Legacy's premises in March 2024. His daughter, Tina Thames, outlined her heartbreak  Kadie Laws, the daughter of Darren Laws (pictured) told the court she was suffering from nightmares and PTSD Kadie Laws, whose father Darren Laws' ashes were recovered from Legacy, sobbed throughout the reading of her statement. She recalled suffering from nightmares and PTSD. She said that when it became clear she may not have her father’s ashes, ‘my head went… and I started getting flashbacks.’ She said she had one vivid hallucination of her father running down the street and being accosted by Bush who then dragged him around. ‘My dad looked terrible in this hallucination,’ she added. ‘He was all yellow with cuts and bruises all over him. Robert Bush looked exactly the same as he did when I saw him. It was terrifying.’ Jasmine Beverley trusted Bush with the cremation of her son, Sunny, who was born stillborn at 18 weeks. When Legacy was raided, his body was found in a brown envelope. Jasmine Beverley trusted Bush with the cremation of her son, Sunny, who was born stillborn at 18 weeks She tearfully told the court: ‘My son Sunny was born sleeping, but he was loved long before he entered this world and he will be loved for the rest of my life. ‘When a parent loses a baby, all they hope for is that their child will be treated with dignity, care and respect. ‘That is why we place enormous trust in the people responsible for caring for our loved ones after death.’ Turning to face Bush in the dock, who showed no emotion, she added: ‘I trusted you with the most precious person in my life.’ The judge, Mr Justice Hilliard, is due to pass sentence on Friday. Bush has been remanded into custody.