Funeral directors sentenced after robbing families of chance to say goodbye with dignity

Two fraudulent funeral directors have been sentenced today after storing bodies in unrefrigerated conditions and denying families lawful burials.

Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, have both been jailed for four years after serious failings were uncovered at their Gosport funeral business in December 2023.

Bailiffs discovered two bodies stored in an unrefrigerated room where water was leaking through the ceiling.

One of the bodies, belonging to an elderly man, had been left for 36 days and was found in an advanced state of decomposition.

Although he had paid for a funeral plan, his family arrived at a crematorium believing the cremation had already taken place, only to learn that his body was still at the funeral directors’ premises.

Between June 2022 and December 2023, Elkin and Bell kept 46 bodies in an unrefrigerated room, with many left there for more than 30 days.

Andrew Eddy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Today’s sentence marks an important moment — one of the first times funeral directors have been held criminally accountable for denying families a lawful and dignified burial.

"Richard Elkin and Hayley Bell abused their position of trust, stored bodies in degrading conditions, lied to grieving relatives, and continued trading when they knew they could not meet even basic obligations.

"Their actions were deliberate and caused deep emotional harm to dozens of families.

"They robbed many of their one chance to say goodbye with dignity. The sentence today reflects the seriousness of that betrayal.

"Our thoughts remain with all the families affected by the actions of Elkin and Bell. No family should ever have to face such distress, especially at a time of loss.

"I am grateful to the families for their courage throughout this case and we hope that today brings some measure of justice.

"The CPS will continue to work with police to ensure that those who exploit grieving families — and who deny the deceased the dignity they deserve — are held fully to account."

Despite knowing their business was insolvent and unable to fulfil its obligations, they continued offering funeral services.

Elkin also displayed a forged certificate claiming membership of the National Association of Funeral Directors.

The pair, who were sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on February 19, 2026, were previously convicted of intentionally causing a public nuisance, preventing lawful burial, and carrying on business with intent to defraud creditors. Elkin was additionally convicted of making and using a false instrument, and possessing pepper spray.

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: “First and foremost my heart goes out to all of the families who have been affected by the actions of Elkin and Bell.

“I have met with the families present at court in this case and I am horrified by what they have experienced.

“When we lose a loved one, we put our complete faith in funeral directors as trusted pillars of the community. We turn to them when we are at our most vulnerable and we rightly expect that we are treated with honesty and compassion, and that our loved ones are treated with care and dignity.

“Elkin and Bell completely shattered the trust of those who turned to them whilst they were grieving. This is one of the worst betrayals I have ever seen in my policing career.

“There are families who now know the extent of the malpractice that went on, and the manner in which their loved ones were handled. But equally there are some families who still have unanswered questions.

“Elkin and Bell have robbed all of those affected of their one chance to say goodbye to their family or friends in a respectful and dignified manner, and that is utterly unforgivable.

“I have no doubts that the vast majority of funeral directors in the UK provide an exemplary service to their community, but this case shows that there are a minority who are capable of inflicting immeasurable harm, and it is clear that better regulation is needed to prevent this from ever happening again.

“I want anyone else who has been affected by this type of offending to know that as a police service we do have powers to prosecute – we will listen to you, we will support you, and we will do everything in our power to secure justice for you and your loved ones.”