Gosport funeral directors guilty of neglecting bodies

Two funeral directors who kept bodies in an unrefrigerated room for more than a month have been found guilty of obstructing a lawful burial.

Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, were also found guilty of willful public nuisance and fraud at Portsmouth Crown Court.

Prosecutors said 46 bodies were kept in an unrefrigerated morgue at Elkin and Bell Funeral Homes in Gosport, Hampshire, in 2022 and 2023.

The couple will be sentenced on February 19.

Warning: The following report contains distressing details and images.

Lesley Bates KC, prosecuting, previously said the bodies of the two elderly men were found by court officers who repossessed the property due to debts including more than £13,000 in unpaid rent.

Miss Bates said: “Water was entering through a leak in the roof of the mortuary room and running down the walls.

“The room was not cooled. The temperature in the morgue room was no different than elsewhere in the facility.”

Ms Bates said the body of 87-year-old William Mitchell “showed obvious signs of decomposition” after being in the room for 36 days.

He said Mr Mitchell’s family were “in disbelief” when they learned his body had not been cremated.

Prosecutors said the firm continued trading despite being bankrupt and unable to meet its obligations.

They added that Elkin was also found guilty of making and using a forged instrument by displaying a false certificate from the National Funeral Directors Association.

The firm’s client, Sharon Kirton, said she was concerned about how her mother’s body was treated.

Speaking outside court, she said: “Not knowing if my mother was one of the bodies lying on the ground, that will never go away.

“My mother said: ‘Keep an eye on me. I feel like I let him down.'”

Rachel Robertson, of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the couple, of Nobes Avenue, “showed a serious disregard for the dignity owed in the care of the deceased and the trust placed in them by the grieving families”.

CPS said the morgue was left unrefrigerated between June 2022 and December 2023, with many of the bodies left there for more than 30 days.

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo said: “Using hundreds of years of legislation, our officers have left no stone unturned to bring Elkin and Bell to justice.

“Unfortunately, we are aware of other similar cases across the country.”

“We need new legislation rather than relying on common law. We also need better regulations.

“This can help ensure that all funeral directors act with the professionalism and compassion that the majority do.”