Two Gosport funeral directors jailed after bodies found in unrefrigerated conditions
Two funeral directors have been sentenced to four years in prison after storing bodies in unrefrigerated conditions and preventing lawful burials.
Richard Elkin, 49, and Hayley Bell, 42, were sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on 19 February 2026. The case was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The court heard that serious failings were uncovered at their Gosport funeral business in December 2023. Bailiffs discovered two bodies stored in an unrefrigerated room where water was leaking through the ceiling.
One body, belonging to an elderly man, had been left for 36 days and was found in an advanced state of decomposition. Although he had paid for a funeral plan, his family arrived at a crematorium believing the cremation had already taken place. They were then informed that his body remained at the funeral directors’ premises.
Between 27 June 2022 and 11 December 2023, Elkin and Bell kept 46 bodies in an unrefrigerated room. Many were left for more than 30 days.
Andrew Eddy, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said the sentence marked one of the first occasions funeral directors had been held criminally accountable for denying families a lawful and dignified burial. He said the pair stored bodies in degrading conditions, misled grieving relatives, and continued trading despite knowing they could not meet their obligations.
The court heard that the business was insolvent during the relevant period, yet the pair continued offering funeral services. Elkin also displayed a forged certificate claiming membership in the National Association of Funeral Directors.
Elkin, of Gosport, was convicted of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance between 27 June 2022 and 11 December 2023, preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body between 3 November 2023 and 11 December 2023, and carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors between 10 August 2022 and 11 December 2023. He was also convicted of making and using a false instrument and possession of pepper spray.
Bell, also of Gosport, was convicted of intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance, preventing lawful and decent burial, and carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors during the same periods.
Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said families had placed trust in the pair at a time of vulnerability and that the case highlighted the need for stronger regulation.
The CPS confirmed it worked closely with police throughout the investigation.