Funeral directors kept stillborn foetus in envelope on the floor for two years | UK | News

The mother of a stillborn baby has spoken of her ordeal after the funeral director kept the body in an envelope on the floor of the cold room for almost two years.

Jasmine Beverley was one of hundreds of victims of funeral director Robert Bush, who was sentenced at Hull Crown Court for violating the trust of bereaved families.

Her son, Sunny, was stillborn at about 18 weeks old, and she believed he had been given a funeral and cremated.

But instead, her tiny remains lay on the floor of the Legacy Independent Funeral Directors building, hidden in what looked like a police officer’s evidence bag.

Prosecutor Chris Paxton KC told the court: “Inside this bag was a white cotton pad.

“It looked like a dressing-type pad used in hospitals.

“[The officer] He opened the notebook and inside was a small item that he initially thought was a baby bird.

“He suspected it was a human fetus, although he wasn’t sure at first.”

The baby had two bracelets around his waist stating that he was born in May 2022 as Ms. Beverley’s son.

Mr Bush is currently being sentenced at Hull Crown Court, where he faces a week-long sentencing hearing after admitting 67 offences, including 30 of obstructing a lawful and decent burial.

When the scandal about how Bush ran his business came to light, the police told him about his son.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today program on Monday, she said: “Almost two years after we had made the body and cremated it, I discovered it was still there, but that wasn’t the case.

“It was found on the floor in an envelope in cold storage, and it was a pretty sad time to discover that what you thought had happened didn’t actually happen.”

Sunny’s loved ones were eventually told where her body was hidden.

His mother said: “We were always wondering where he was found and didn’t know if he was with other people.

“When we found out he was there with everyone, it gave me some peace of mind that he wasn’t alone.”

Ms Beverley said Bush looked “lovely” but was “fooling a lot of people” with his respectful demeanor.

He said it had been more than 18 months since families affected by the scandal went to Westminster to call for government action to tighten regulations on the funeral industry.

He said: “I don’t understand why they are so insistent on this because most crematoriums and funeral directors have best practice.

“We just want to see best practice incorporated into the legislation to make sure this is regulated.”