Court round-up: Funeral director jailed, machete killer sentenced and child abuser locked up
A funeral director jailed for hoarding bodies and giving families the wrong ashes, a fatal machete attack, a prolific child sex offender and a violent attacker are among the latest cases to have been heard in Yorkshire courts.
A number of serious criminal cases have recently been heard in courts across Yorkshire. Here is a round-up of some of the latest sentences and hearings.
Funeral director jailed for 20 years
A funeral director who hoarded bodies, gave bereaved families the wrong ashes and defrauded hundreds of customers has been jailed for 20 years.
Robert Bush, 48, who ran Legacy Independent Funeral Directors in Hull, admitted 67 offences, including preventing lawful and decent burials, fraud, fraudulent trading relating to funeral plans and theft from charities.
His offending came to light in March 2024 after, while on holiday in Arizona, he asked another funeral firm to recover a body on his behalf.
A casual worker disclosed bodies had been at the Hessle Road premises for years, prompting a police investigation.
Officers found decomposing bodies, unlabelled ashes and appalling conditions.
The investigation also uncovered fake funeral plans, charity thefts and evidence that families had been given the wrong ashes.
Jailing Bush, Mr Justice Hilliard said he had behaved in a "shocking and disgraceful way" towards the deceased and their families, adding that he had been motivated by "financial greed".
Two men sentenced over fatal machete attack
Two men have been sentenced after Macaulay Branighan was chased and fatally attacked with a machete in Stockton.
The 27-year-old suffered catastrophic injuries after being chased along High Newham Road on October 12, 2025, and later died in hospital.
Following a trial at Teesside Crown Court, Stephen Lee Ward, 26, was convicted of murder and Samuel Tweddle, 23, was convicted of manslaughter.
Ward was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years, while Tweddle was jailed for 13 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Taylor said neither man had shown remorse for their roles in the attack, while Macaulay's family said his death had "changed our lives forever".
Child sex offender jailed for more than 18 years
A Hull man who sexually abused four boys over a number of years has been jailed for 18 years and four months.
Graham Stephenson, 55, was identified after one victim reported non-recent abuse in 2023.
Further inquiries uncovered three more victims who described years of abuse dating back to childhood.
Officers also recovered around 45 electronic devices from Stephenson's home, with forensic examinations uncovering more than 500 indecent images of children.
Stephenson pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity, rape, sexual activity with a child and making indecent photographs of a child before being sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on Monday (Jul 27).
He was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Violent attacker jailed after assaults on two women
A violent attacker who assaulted two women enjoying nights out in Sheffield within hours of each other has been jailed.
Matthew Ward, 21, followed and attacked a student as she walked home from Dempsey's nightclub in the early hours of April 25, 2026, leaving her with serious facial injuries, permanent scars and lasting psychological trauma.
Around three hours earlier, Ward had punched another woman in Sheffield city centre, leaving her with a bloody nose.
The attacks happened shortly after he had been released from prison for an earlier assault on a lone woman.
Ward admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault before being sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to 30 months' imprisonment.
In her victim impact statement, the student said the attack had affected every aspect of her life and that she continues to live with both the physical and emotional scars.