Fraudulent funeral directors who deceived a grieving family have been convicted

Two fraudulent funeral directors who led a grieving family to falsely believe their loved one had been cremated have been convicted of a number of offences, in one of the first prosecutions of its kind in the UK.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary launched a detailed and complex investigation into the business practices of Elkin & Bell Funeral Directors on Nobes Avenue in Gosport, following a report made to police at 10.45am on 10 December 2023.

At that time, High Court bailiffs had entered the business premises – run by 49-year-old Richard Elkin and his partner Hayley Bell, aged 42 – to repossess the property on behalf of the landlord. The business was in rent arrears, had accrued debts and received numerous county court judgements.

Whilst inspecting the property, they located the bodies of two elderly men in a room at the rear of the premises.

Concerns were raised about the condition of the bodies. The premises was in a state of disarray with broken windows, used coffins, lack of refrigeration in the area in which bodies were stored, water dripping through the ceiling, and a pungent and unpleasant smell.

The police investigation unveiled a series of failings in the business that impacted a number of families and the wider community. The business had been fraudulently trading, and Elkin had displayed a forged ‘Certificate of Funeral Directing’ in the front of their office which claimed to have been issued by the National Association of Funeral Directors. This was entirely false.

Shockingly, family members for one of the deceased found by the bailiffs were deceived into believing that their loved one had already been cremated on 4 December, when they were in fact still lying in situ and decomposing in the rear of the Nobes Avenue address after 36 days.

Elkin had initially claimed that they had been unable to proceed with the cremation because they hadn’t received the insurance payment, but the police investigation revealed this to be untrue, and proof of payment to the defendants from a pre-arranged funeral plan was obtained by investigators.

Months later, Hayley Bell confirmed to police in a statement that she had received the payment but simply did not ‘have the time’ to sort the cremation.

Elkin and Bell had in essence received money that they did not earn, as they did not carry out the required services such as booking the funeral or even purchasing a coffin. The prosecution argued that the reason the defendants did this was because their business had long been insolvent, and the business model was a case of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.

A number of families were represented at the trial that started at Portsmouth Crown Court on Monday 17 November 2025.

Elkin and Bell, both of Nobes Avenue in Gosport, faced a string of charges, for which they were found guilty on all counts:

Richard Elkin was found guilty 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.
• Carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors/for other fraudulent purpose between 10 August 2022 and 11 December 2023.
• Making a false instrument with intent for it to be accepted as genuine.
• Using a false instrument with intent for it to be accepted as genuine.

Hayley Bell was found guilty 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.
• Carrying on a business with intent to defraud creditors/for other fraudulent purpose between 10 August 2022 and 11 December 2023.

They have both been bailed to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday 19 February for sentencing.

Following the verdict, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Bartolomeo from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said: “We can all empathise with the families connected to this case.

“We have all lost someone we care about, or will in the future. When that happens, in the worst moment of our lives, we turn to trusted pillars of the community to help, to look after our loved ones, to provide care.

“Mr Elkin and Ms Bell betrayed that trust, and betrayed it in the worst way possible.

“As the jury have found they did not act in a loving, caring or compassionate way. Instead they left bodies unrefrigerated for long periods of time, causing high levels of harm to the public. 

“We need to make sure this never happens again. 

“As a police service, if something doesn’t feel right it is important that we trust our instincts and do everything we can to support members of the community in their time of need.  

“In this case, our officers turned over every stone to bring Elkin & Bell to justice using legislation that is hundreds of years old. This also would not have been possible without the determination and support of our partners at the Crown Prosecution Service.

“Sadly we are aware of other similar cases across the country 

“We need new legislation rather than relying on common law.  We also need better regulation. 

“Combined this can help ensure that all funeral directors act, as the majority do, with professionalism and compassion. 

“Finally thank you to the families who have provided excellent witness evidence, come together to look after one another, and can now allow their loved ones to rest in peace.”

Rachel Robertson, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS Wessex, said: “This has been a difficult case for all involved.

“Today’s verdict has delivered justice for those families whose trust was grossly abused by Richard Elkin and Hayley Bell.

“Elkin and Bell were rightly charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with serious and broad-ranging criminal wrongdoing in relation to their funeral business.

“They showed grave disregard for the dignity and care owed to the deceased and to the trust placed in them by grieving families.

“They were dishonest in their business practices and failed to provide a proper and lawful burial for one gentleman despite having been paid to do so.

“Their conduct caused serious harm to those coming into contact with their business and to those families who entrusted their loved ones into their care.

“Nothing can undo the damage they have caused but we hope today’s convictions bring some measure of comfort to the families affected by this deeply callous criminality.”