Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Karen King says she "really struggled" knowing her father was still wearing the grey t-shirt he died in when they viewed his body at Legacy.

A statement was read in court on her behalf in relation to using the funeral service for her father, 94-year-old Norman Bridger.

The statement reads: “I felt grateful to dad that he had arranged a funeral plan so we did not have to worry about payment, but even this would be a lie.

“I feel so cheated for him. Bush just took advantage of him, keeping the money for himself."

King, who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer when her father died, adds in the statement: "I really struggled knowing dad was wearing the grey t-shirt.

"My lovely dad lay in a cardboard coffin for months. It feels he was just forgotten."

The statement concludes: "I gave Robert Bush a bottle of port to thank him for taking care of dad.

"The smile on his face as he accepted will always haunt me."

Through floods of tears, Christina George read out her personal victim statement after the body of her brother, Raymond Dagnall, who was a fisherman, was found “left on a rack wearing a soiled hospital gown and still with hospital tubes in his body”.

George thought she had scattered the ashes of her brother at Bridlington Harbour, as per her brother’s wishes.

She told the court the discovery had made “me feel sick and the hairs prickle on the back of my neck”.

“He [Bush] turned our world upside down. I really want him to know that. There can never be a good enough reason for what he has done. Why?”

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

As every person stands up in court to speak about the impact Bush has had on them, other people in court are crying and wiping away tears.

Bush seems to be showing no emotion as he watches and listens to what people have to say about what he has done to them and the way it is still affecting their mental health.

Many family members live and work near the Legacy building on Hessle Road and have spoken about how hard it is for them to have to walk past even to this day, knowing what happened to their loved ones inside the building.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The judge has told Christina George he thinks her brother would be proud of her and checks she has someone with her in court.

As she sits down, people can be heard crying and more tissues have been passed around among the families sitting here in court.

The judge then comments with apparent sympathy to the court that he has noticed that many of the family members here have spoken of how guilty they feel.

He points out that it's not their responsibility, but it's clearly a feeling shared by many of the victims here in court.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

This week in court is about the families having their say.

Several so far this morning have chosen to stand up in court and tell everyone - including Bush himself - how they have been affected by what happened.

Christina George has had to keep stopping as she is very emotional.

She has apologised several times and the judge has told her to take her time.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Christina George, sister of Raymond Dagnall, is reading her statement out.

As she begins to talk about her brother, she has to pause as she becomes emotional.

She is crying and keeps apologising to the court.

George tells the court that she trusted Bush.

She and Byron Lill, who spoke earlier, have said they felt they let their loved ones down by using Legacy Independent Funeral Directors once they found out what had been happening.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Byron Lill had to pause at times when he read his statement out. Several people in court are wiping tears from their eyes and one stood up and walked out while Lill spoke.

The judge in this sentencing hearing is interrupting the lawyer speaking every now and then.

He is trying to make sure he is clear of the details.

He just checked in with Lill that his wife is here in court with him after he became clearly distressed when he was reading out his statement.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Byron Lill is speaking to the court now. His voice is cracking as he talks about his mum, Muriel Winning.

"She protected us our whole lives and I couldn't repay her," he says.

Someone in the public gallery is now audibly crying and others are wiping their eyes with tissues. Several people in court can be heard crying as Lill reads out his statement.

Robert Bush is staring in front of himself or looking down as many people in court are crying or shaking their heads as they listen.

He seems to be showing no emotion.

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

A victim statement has been read out in court by Kathryn Howard, who used Legacy Funeral Directors after her partner, John, died from cancer.

She says she was recommended the funeral company by a friend and her "world fell apart all over again" when she found out his body could be one of those involved in the investigation.

She tells the court: “I was left not able to sleep, not eating properly, depressed and anxious over everything.

"How could I trust anyone again?"

Howard adds: "When I'm alone at night I think constantly, picturing John in that place when he should have been resting in peace.

"I feel like I've let John down - by choosing Legacy, by trusting Rob Bush."

She says an apology "would not be enough for me" and wanted Bush to know that she will "never, ever, get over this".

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Bush is staring ahead as the barrister has started to read out statements on behalf of the families he has affected.

At one point, he looked down but is mainly staring straight ahead.

In the public gallery, many people are holding tissues. Others are clutching each other's hands.

One man's leg is constantly moving up and down while the court listens to details of what Bush has done.

Prosecutor Christopher Paxton KC previously told the court that up to 240 victim impact statements relating to the former funeral director’s conduct would be provided to the court prior to today's sentencing hearing.

He said that the fraudulent trading related to funeral plans involving "over 150 individuals".

The sentencing hearing of Robert Bush is expected to last at least five days.

Bush previously admitted 67 offences, including 30 counts of preventing a lawful and decent burial.

Image source, PA Media

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

The court hears that Bush told police in an interview on 11 March 2024 that he had "only employed casual workers" and had cash flow issues at his funeral business.

He had also explained to police during the interview that he "had no system of identifying where bodies were placed at Hessle Road as he had personally retained this information", prosecution tells the court.

Linsey Smith
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Bush denied that he ever told casual Legacy worker Patrick Moore to turn off refrigeration. He said that there were two units and only one needed to be turned on.

"He had sought to downplay the state of his premises" in interviews, the prosecution says of Bush.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The prosecution says Bush admitted he had been having issues with refrigeration and saved money by not running all the units.

Linsey Smith
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Families are weeping in the public gallery as the prosecution are outlining how the bodies were found, including how one body was found on a stretcher on the floor.

There was also a sealed coffin on the floor. The area was dirty and unkempt. Flowers, rings and teddies and cards with messages had been swept to the sides on the floor.

Bush was arrested on an aircraft at Heathrow Airport after he arrived home from a holiday in the United States in March 2024.

He had flown to Los Angeles to watch motorcycle racing, one of his hobbies.

Bush had bought a number of racing bikes and splashed out on expensive track days, often posting videos of his lap times on social media.

When Bush was in the US, Humberside Police were contacted about the conditions at the Legacy building in Hull.

Linsey Smith
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

Christopher Paxton KC, prosecuting, is outlining how the situation at Legacy Independent Funeral Directors came to light.

Bush was on holiday in the United States on 6 March.

While on holiday, Bush contacted Evergreen Funeral Directors to ask them to remove a body from a care home in Bourne Street, Hull.

Mr Pickering and Mr Emerson, from Evergreen, were told by Patrick Moore, a casual worker for Legacy, "you don't know the half of it."

He said bodies had been in there for years. Moore described it as "something of a horror scene".

Linsey Smith
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The prosecution is now talking about Robert Bush's business and finances.

In a seven-year period between 2017 and 2024, Bush was paid over £3m into his business account, which the prosecution says not all of which was declared to HMRC.

They say Bush's business situation was not dire but mismanaged.

Eleanor Maslin
BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

The prosecution has listed the 67 offences Bush is being sentenced for.

The court hears from the prosecution that Bush was operating "within the heart of the community for around 14 years" and was "trusted by loads of bereaved families in their time of need to treat their loves ones with dignity".

"He breached that trust on an almost industrial scale" and his offences "impacted young and old alike across the community of Hull and beyond", the prosecution adds.

Judge Mr Justice Hilliard anticipates the sentence will be passed on Friday.

Jessica Lane
Reporting from Hull Crown Court

The judge has acknowledged that a lot of people are interested in the proceedings taking place in court this week for Bush's sentencing.