A former funeral director who admitted hoarding bodies and handing grieving families the wrong ashes is seeking permission to challenge his 20-year prison sentence.
Robert Bush, 48, was jailed in July for 67 offences, among them 30 counts of preventing a lawful burial, after breaching the trust of his customers “on an industrial scale” for 12 years.
The undertaker has now applied to appeal against his sentence, the Press Association understands.
Bush's crimes affected hundreds of victims.
A total of 31 decomposing bodies were found at his funeral parlour, Legacy.
Families have been left forever unsure whether the ashes they received were the right ones.
His sentencing hearing heard from some of the 226 pensioners who said they had been “conned” out of what little savings they had after being sold fake funeral plans by Bush.
Senior judge Mr Justice Hillard, who passed the sentence, said he had “never known offences affect so many people so deeply”.
Many of the family members who packed the public gallery in court said after the sentencing that the prison term was not long enough. One branded it “atrocious”.
Joanne Moody, whose father Peter Moody was one of the 31 bodies found at Legacy, said after the hearing: “It's a joke, he's going to be out in 10 years. There’s no justice for any of us…we’re not going to get closure.”
Jasmine Beverley's unborn baby's remains were found on the floor of Bush's Hull premises.
She has told the BBC she is “troubled” that victims may have to “relive the hurt they have already experienced” in the event of an appeal hearing.
Tristan Essex is the grandson of Jessie Stockdale, whose body was also discovered at Legacy.
He told the broadcaster he is “absolutely disgusted” by Bush's application to appeal, which has added “cruelty to our suffering”.
Bush will learn the outcome of his application to the Court of Appeal at a later date.