A pair of funeral directors left the body of an 87-year-old man to decompose in a leaky, unrefrigerated mortuary room for 36 days, a court has been told.
Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, who operated Elkin and Bell Funerals in Gosport, Hampshire, are standing trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. They face charges of preventing the lawful burial of a dead body and fraud.
The Gruesome Discovery
The situation came to light when High Court enforcement officers arrived at the premises to repossess them due to unpaid rent and debts. Prosecutor Lesley Bates KC informed the jury that the officers discovered the bodies of two elderly men, William Mitchell, 87, and Clive Reynolds.
Ms Bates stated that the officers ‘felt immediate concern at the circumstances in which the bodies were being kept’. The mortuary room was in a shocking state. Water was leaking through the roof and running down the walls, and the room was not refrigerated, with its temperature being no different from the rest of the building.
William Mitchell's body showed obvious signs of decomposition after being stored in these unacceptable conditions for over a month.
A Paid-For Funeral That Never Happened
Elkin reportedly told police that the cremation for Mr Mitchell had not proceeded because they had not received payment. However, this claim was contradicted in court.
Ms Bates revealed that William Mitchell had a pre-paid funeral plan with Golden Charter Ltd, and the defendants had already been paid £2,040 to cover the costs. Furthermore, Bell had provided an invoice for £1,295 to William's sister-in-law, Patricia Mitchell, for a coffin of 'simple design'.
The court heard that while Golden Charter was told the coffin would be a 'fully lined, oak veneered MDF' one, no coffin of any kind had ever been purchased for Mr Mitchell.
The family's distress was compounded when police informed them that the planned private cremation had never taken place. Believing the ceremony had already occurred, they had placed a wreath at Porchester Crematorium in his memory.
Defendants Deny Allegations
Ms Bates told the court that in any properly managed funeral firm, there was no good reason for such an undue delay. She emphasised that William Mitchell had personally arranged his funeral to ensure everything was done correctly.
During the proceedings, Elkin claimed he had not been involved in the business for two years and placed responsibility on Bell. The prosecutor denied this, asserting he had been 'actively involved', including collecting Mr Mitchell's body from his home.
Regarding the mortuary's leaking roof, the defendants said they were waiting for the landlord to conduct repairs. Elkin also suggested the refrigeration unit must have broken.
Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include intentionally causing a public nuisance, preventing the lawful burial of a body, and carrying on a business fraudulently. Elkin also faces an additional charge of using a false certificate of funeral directing. The trial continues.
