Robert Bush, a funeral director at Hull-based Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, has been described as “callous, cold and calculated” by one grieving man
There are few acts of trust more profound than placing a loved one in the care of a funeral director. Robert Bush betrayed that trust on a scale that is almost beyond words. A stillborn baby was left in an envelope on the floor of his premises for nearly two years while his mother believed he had been given a funeral and cremated. Other families were handed the wrong ashes as the bodies of those they loved were left decomposing on shelves. These were not administrative errors. They were acts of cruelty against people already broken by grief. Bush has admitted to 67 offences spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of victims. His apology outside court will mean little to families now living with nightmares, guilt and unbearable images of what happened to their relatives. The court will decide his sentence. No punishment, however, can restore the dignity he stole or repair the trust he shattered.
A parent convicted of seriously harming their child should not retain an automatic right to stay in their life. Jo Early and her daughter Abi know the damage this can cause. Gavin Gibbs was convicted of breaking baby Charlie’s arm, yet remained legally entitled to contact sister Abi for years through cards, gifts and messages. That contact did not heal. It confused, unsettled and prolonged the pain. Jade’s Law rightly removes parental rights from those convicted of killing a child. The same principle should apply where a parent has inflicted serious violence. Children must come before the rights of an abusive adult. Jo’s campaign deserves support because no child should be forced to carry the emotional burden of contact with the person who shattered their family.
As a Goodie, Bill Oddie made millions of people laugh before teaching us to look more closely at the world around us. His wit, warmth and wonder turned birds, trees and hedgerows into shared treasures. Britain has lost a much-loved entertainer and a tireless voice for nature.
