Used coffins, broken windows and a lack of refrigeration was found at the premises. It was also found that Elkin and Bell had forged its certificate of funeral directing, had received a number of county court judgements and was in debt.

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After a trial, which concluded in December 2025, the pair were found guilty of preventing lawful burial, intentionally causing a public nuisance and fraud at Portsmouth Crown Court. Today (Thursday, February 19) they returned to the same court to learn their sentence. They were both jailed for four years concurrently, and disqualified from acting as directors for any company for a period of seven years.

After sentencing, Elkin shouted “happy?” to the grieving families as he was taken away. Bell did not make eye contact with them as she was sent down.

The court heard how the cases of 46 individuals were investigated as part of criminal proceedings, with families gathering in court to see justice served for their loved ones. So many were in attendance that an over-spill court room also had to be used.

A joint victim impact statement was read out in court on behalf of Michael and Patricia Mitchell, the relatives of 87-year-old William ‘Bill’ Mitchell. They were under the impression he had been cremated, but after 36 days he was still decomposing at the funeral directors.

Their statement read: “We were in total contempt at the way Bill was treated, after being promised he would be looked after.

“Surely even after death, a person should be treated with the respect and dignity they truly deserve.”

One family told the court that their loved one had to be frozen at Queen Alexandra Hospital after being found decomposing at Elkin and Bell, and was defrosting in the coffin during their funeral. In multiple instances, coroners were unable to establish a cause of death due to the condition the deceased were in. One even found had their loved ones’ coffin sealed shut for the funeral, which is now understood to have been in a bid to hide the person’s condition.

At one point during the victim impact statements, Elkin was removed from the courtroom for disrupting proceedings, at the request of the judge. He was not allowed back into the courtroom until after a break was taken at midday, after all statements had been read out.

Passing sentence, His Honour Judge James Newton-Price KC remarked that during the offending period there were more than 40 bodies in Elkin and Bell’s care, and he highlighted the “serious, profound and enduring distress” caused to families by the defendants’ actions. He said: “No sentence can be a reflection of the value and the worth of the bodies neglected whilst in the care of Elkin and Bell.”

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson said: “First and foremost my heart goes out to all of the families who have been affected by the actions of Elkin and Bell. I have met with the families present at court in this case and I am horrified by what they have experienced. When we lose a loved one, we put our complete faith in funeral directors as trusted pillars of the community. We turn to them when we are at our most vulnerable and we rightly expect that we are treated with honesty and compassion, and that our loved ones are treated with care and dignity.

“Elkin and Bell completely shattered the trust of those who turned to them whilst they were grieving. This is one of the worst betrayals I have ever seen in my policing career. There are families who now know the extent of the malpractice that went on, and the manner in which their loved ones were handled. But equally there are some families who still have unanswered questions. Elkin and Bell have robbed all of those affected of their one chance to say goodbye to their family or friends in a respectful and dignified manner, and that is utterly unforgivable.

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“I have no doubts that the vast majority of funeral directors in the UK provide an exemplary service to their community, but this case shows that there are a minority who are capable of inflicting immeasurable harm, and it is clear that better regulation is needed to prevent this from ever happening again. I want anyone else who has been affected by this type of offending to know that as a police service we do have powers to prosecute – we will listen to you, we will support you, and we will do everything in our power to secure justice for you and your loved ones.”

Andrew Eddy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Richard Elkin and Hayley Bell abused their position of trust, stored bodies in degrading conditions, lied to grieving relatives, and continued trading when they knew they could not meet even basic obligations. Their actions were deliberate and caused deep emotional harm to dozens of families. They robbed many of their one chance to say goodbye with dignity. The sentence today reflects the seriousness of that betrayal.

“Our thoughts remain with all the families affected by the actions of Elkin and Bell. No family should ever have to face such distress, especially at a time of loss. I am grateful to the families for their courage throughout this case and we hope that today brings some measure of justice. The CPS will continue to work with police to ensure that those who exploit grieving families — and who deny the deceased the dignity they deserve — are held fully to account.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said: “Elkin and Bell betrayed their community, and nothing was in place to stop them. While the sentences handed down today may provide some comfort for families, it will never be enough. This police investigation is a landmark case. Detectives discovered a judicial black hole. New legislation is essential. We must introduce a law which accurately reflects the mistreatment of a body after death, and the government must act fast to introduce a robust regularity framework for funeral directors.

“At the moment, anyone can set up a funeral director business without any qualifications or standards to adhere to. The recommendations for the sector are clearly outlined in the David Fuller Inquiry which was published last year. I urge the government to act swiftly on the recommendations, they cannot be delayed. 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.”