Gosport funeral directors appear in court for preventing lawful burial of dead body and fraud
Two directors at a scandal-hit funeral parlour appeared in court for the first time today after being charged with preventing the lawful burial of a dead body.
Richard Elkin and Hayley Bell appeared before court after a police investigation into practices at their funeral home.
Elkin, 48, and Bell, 41, have been charged with 'preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body' after a report was made to Hampshire Constabulary.
The funeral home bosses have also been charged with fraud. The pair appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court and spoke only to confirm their names, address, and date of birth.
The matter was referred straight to Portsmouth Crown Court as preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body charge is an 'indictable only' offence - and can only be heard in a higher court.
The pair ran Elkin and Bell Funerals in Nobes Avenue, Gosport, which closed its doors in December last year. It reportedly closed after a visit from the bailiffs.
From now, and until they next appear in court, the business owners are not allowed to 'contact any previous customers' of the funeral home.
Prosecutor Laura Jenking-Rees said the bail conditions have been made 'perfectly clear to them' and there has not yet been any 'breach' of this.
Elkin has been charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors/for other fraudulent purpose, and two counts relating to the making and use of a 'false instrument'. He has also been charged with possession of pepper spray.
Bell has been charged with intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, and carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors/for other fraudulent purpose. The offences are said to date from June 2022 to December 2023.
Addressing the funeral home bosses, Magistrate Julian Clayton said: "As you have heard in court, and the bail conditions that you are already subjected to, we are going to send this matter to the Crown Court.
"We are going to grant conditional bail to you Ms Bell and you Mr Elkin on the same condition that you have previously been told by the legal advisor. You may leave the dock now."
Elkin and Bell, who both live in Gosport, will next appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on January 13.
After the pair were charged, a Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: "This has been a complex investigation in which police have engaged with the affected families throughout, before submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service in June this year.
"We have now secured charges for two people in this investigation, and we urge the public not to speculate on the circumstances in order to allow the criminal justice process to run its course without any impediment."