A letter of apology from Robert Bush, the former funeral director jailed for 20 years after a series of grave misconducts, has provoked anger among the families of his victims. Bush was found guilty of failing to properly bury or cremate bodies, instead handing over the ashes of strangers to grieving relatives, and in one instance, the ashes of an animal.

Bush’s wrongdoing was uncovered at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors, where the remains of several individuals were mishandled. Jasmine Beverley, whose stillborn son Sunny’s remains were found nearly two years after his death inside the funeral parlour, described the apology letter as hollow and offensive. The letter was read aloud to five families following Bush’s sentencing at Hull Crown Court, and Beverley said the atmosphere was one of disbelief and silence. “It’s not an apology. He’s not apologising for what he’s done but how the families feel about what he’s done,” she said. Beverley pointed out a glaring mistake in the letter’s opening sentence, which she interpreted as a sign of Bush’s indifference: “I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the events that wish to say something directly to you...” She added, “It’s just an insult. There’s no acknowledgement of what he’s done.”

Karen Dry, who had entrusted Bush with the funerals of her parents in 2016 and 2018, expressed similar sentiments. She has been organising monthly vigils for the victims’ families and criticised the letter for lacking any genuine sorrow or remorse. “It’s a slap in the face, he’s just out for himself,” Dry said.

Stacey Foster, another victim, said she had even commissioned jewellery made from what she was told were the ashes of her son Tommy, who died at 17 weeks in 2023. She received Bush’s letter through Humberside Police and dismissed it as an attempt by Bush to rehabilitate his image without true regret. “To me he has done this to make himself look good... it means nothing,” she stated.

Bush pleaded guilty to 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing lawful and dignified burials, as well as theft from 12 charities. Prosecutors described his operation as “shambolic and chaotic,” noting that his offences had caused “extreme emotional pain” to many families.

Despite Bush’s imprisonment, several victims’ families, including Beverley, have called for a public inquiry into the funeral director’s practices. Beverley said that reading the letter only intensified her anger and grief, which she believes will continue to affect her permanently. “I thought I would be able to rest easy after he was jailed but I haven’t,” she remarked.