Among the items found in the search of Legacy Funeral Directors was a brown paper bag containing a "tiny item" which the officer thought, at first, was a baby bird. But there were hospital wristbands around the baby's waist with the words: "Baby of Jasmine Beverley, born 13/05/22 at 05:04".

On Tuesday, Ms Beverley addressed Bush directly at his sentencing hearing at Hull Crown Court as he sat in the dock. She said: "I trusted you with the most precious person in my life. The reality I now live with is that my baby boy Sunny has spent more time in your possession than he ever did with his own family.

"I have to live with the fact that my son was kept for so long without my knowledge, and that when he was eventually found he was in a brown paper bag on the floor. As a mother, that is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."

Fighting back her emotion, she went on to tell Bush: "My son Sunny was born sleeping, but he was loved long before he entered this world and he will be loved for the rest of my life. He deserved dignity. He deserved respect. He deserved to be treated with care and compassion. That is all I ever asked for. Sunny deserved better. Our family deserved better."

Jasmine Beverley, whose son Sunny was stillborn in May 2022(Image: Andy Commins)

Hull Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Robert Bush spent more than £42,000 on holidays while defrauding grieving families.

The court heard he also spent £21,000 on motorcycle racing and £17,400 on home improvements between 2017 and 2024, according to financial records.

Bush spent £9,000 on camping and almost £7,000 on motorcycle racing in the same year he told Jasmine Beverley - the mum of baby Sunny, who was stillborn - that her son had been cremated while he lay on the floor of the funeral directors.

Throughout the period from 2017 to 2024, Bush was defrauding customers by taking money for funeral plans he was not authorised to set up, and gave families the wrong ashes for their loved ones, the court heard.

Mr Justice Hilliard questioned claims that Bush only took out £3,000 a month from the business. He said: 'That can't be right, can it? What’s it all gone on? I suspect people who paid for funeral plans would like to know what he spent his money on."

Funeral director Robert Bush spent £42,000 on holidays while defrauding clients(Image: NB PRESS LTD)

Hull Crown Court yesterday heard a statement from a police officer who found the remains of a foetus when police raided Legacy's Hessle Road premises on March 8, 2024.

Discussing the discovery of the remains, Sergeant Jason Sutcliffe said: "I class myself as a resilient person. Finding the foetus will never leave my thoughts, and I was disgusted and deeply saddened.

"I am due to retire from the police shortly, and I can honestly say that this was probably the worst experience of my career."

Chief Superintendent Supervisor Colin Jordan said in a statement that the operation at Hessle Road had "a profound effect on me and the whole team".

He said: "I find it difficult to put into words the indignity afforded to both those recovered and their families, but more so, the indignity afforded this foetus.

"When it upsets seasoned professionals, with many years of experience in the field of body recoveries, it is clear just how bad the conditions were."

An image shows bags of ashes found at Legacy's Hessle Road premises(Image: Humberside Police)

The Bishop of Hull has spoken to the Mirror's Lucy Thornton ahead of Bush's sentencing at Hull Crown Court this morning.

Bishop Eleanor Sanderson was today comforting families in a church next to the court as they arrived to learn Bush's fate.

The Bishop told the Mirror: "What has happened is unimaginable. We have been involved from the beginning and our first thought has been for the families. It has been really really distressing.

"They contacted me when it was all first found. We did a cleansing to bless the space after the new owners contacted us. We did a cleansing prayer because it was important for the families. It was about bringing peace."

The Bishop was also involved in interment of the ashes and said: "We wanted to do all we could to restore their dignity.

"My grandfather was a funeral director and it's shocking. It is about the care of dignity that goes with the profession. It is a sacred trust you enter."

A composite of undated handout photos of many of the victims(Image: Humberside Police/PA Wire)

Humberside Police has released a strkingimage featuring photographs of Bush's 75 victims.

On the top row, from left to right: Anne Lillian Marshall, Annie Kendall, Anthony Neylon, Audrey Leach, Barbara Stockdale, Barry Clark, Brian Johnson, Colin Wainman, Craig Moses, Danny Middleton, Alan Chearman, Alan Endall, Albert Edward Owst, Alan Gray, and Andrew Murphy.

On the second row, from left to right: Darren Laws, David Burton, Andrew Suffill, Dennis and Eileen Frazer, Dorothy Curtis, Gordon Smith, Graham Finn, Hazel Brown, Herbert Jimmy Porter, John and Christine Tibbles, Jean Collinson, Jessie Stockdale, and Joan Sparks.

On the third row, from left to right: Joan Stark, John Booth, John Carlill, Jon Butler, Joyce Moulton, Julie Webb, Leslie Raymond Cawood, Lilian Carter, Lisa Urry, Margaret Ann Welsh, Margaret Ounsworth, Mark Hotham, Mark Meikleham, Marolyn Sissons, and Martin Sydney Sawyers.

On the fourth row, from left to right: Mary Rhodes, Maureen and Keith Greensides, Maureen Graham, Michael Ellam, Michael Neal Andrew Hall, Muriel Winning, Norman Bridger, Patrick Spriggs, Paul Hemingway, Peter Moody, Raymond Bullough, Raymond Dagnall, Raymond Parker, and Rita Shaw.

On the bottom row, from left to right: Ronaldo Coates, Roy Butler, Shane Atkinson, Shirley Welburn, Shirley Wright, Stephen Perrins, Susan Gorbutt, Susan Stone, Sylvia Osler, Terence Buck, Terence White, Thomas Anderson, Thomas Marritt, Tony Munro, and Valerie Chalkley.

Prosecutors say Robert Bush should face a prison sentence of between 20 and 25 years, but noted that his case is "unprecedented".

Hull Crown Court heard this week that there are no sentencing guidelines or maximum penalty for the offence of preventing a lawful burial, which accounts for 30 of the charges.

It is the fifth and final day of Bush's sentencing hearing, which is due to resume at 12pm.

Over four days, the court heard more than 200 victim impact statements, with many victims choosing to read their words in person and breaking down in tears.

Disgraced funeral director Robert Bush has admitted a total of 67 offences, spanning 12 years and affecting hundreds of victims.

The owner of Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull pleaded guilty in April to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial, and one of theft from 12 charities, including the Salvation Army and Macmillan Cancer Support.

In October last year, Bush admitted 30 counts of fraud by false representation relating to 35 bodies found at the site, and four "foetus allegations" of fraud, where he presented ashes to women falsely saying that they were "the remains of their unborn".

At that same hearing, Bush also pleaded guilty to a further charge of fraud, covering the ashes of 57 people between 2017 and 2024, and one of fraudulent trading relating to funeral plans between 2012 and 2024. Bush at the time had denied the other charges against him, which he later admitted in April this year.

Police were called to Legacy's premises on Hessle Road in March 2024 after concerns were raised. Officers found 35 bodies and more than 100 sets of ashes.

Robert Bush pleaded guilty at Hull Crown Court to 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial(Image: Humberside Police)