PCC calls for reform after bodies mistreated at Gosport funeral directors

Richard Elkin and Hayley Bell were each jailed for four years at Portsmouth Crown Court today (19th Feb), and both were disqualified as acting company directors for seven years.

A jury found the pair guilty of prevention of a lawful burial, fraud, and public nuisance offences.

Elkin and Bell ran the funeral firm until it was shut down in December 2023, when a decomposing body was found in the mortuary. Officers also discovered used coffins, broken windows and no refrigeration on site. The pair were also found to have forged a certificate of funeral directing.

The case exposed serious gaps in the law. Officers were forced to rely on common law charges, because there is currently no specific legislation to prosecute the mistreatment of bodies after death.

It also highlighted the absence of regulations for funeral directors. There is currently no oversight body to ensure standards are upheld and grieving families can trust that their loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect.

PCC Donna Jones said the pair had betrayed their community, and that while today’s sentences may bring some comfort, they will never be enough. She described the investigation as a landmark case which uncovered a “judicial black hole”, and said new legislation is essential.

“The emotional turmoil of the loved ones affected by this case is unimaginable and will undoubtedly have a long lasting impact on the wider community.

“Grieving families deserve reassurance that their loved ones will be treated with the highest standards of care and compassion. Anything less should be a criminal offence.”

Dame Caroline Dinenage said she has met directly with affected families, trade bodies, and training providers, and has pressed successive Justice Ministers, including the current Minister, Alex Davies-Jones MP, for urgent changes to the law.

Dame Caroline confirmed she will be holding a debate in Parliament to raise the case on the floor of the House of Commons and require a formal response from the government.

She will call for mandatory licensing for funeral directors, an inspection regime, and a national unique identifier to track bodies through the death pathway. She also said direct cremation services must be brought within scope.

“What has come to light in this case is absolutely shocking. No family should ever have to question whether their loved one has been treated with dignity after death.

“The government must now act swiftly to close these glaring gaps in the law.”

PCC Donna Jones and Dame Caroline Dinenage will host a meeting in Gosport for all affected families in March.