“He didn’t say it to me… he said it to the cameras,” Essex said. “He’s only sorry that he got caught.”
Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Haltemprice, said Bush exploited grieving residents. “He tried to act like he cared, like he was their friend,” she said.
Jerry Thompson, Chairman of the Hull Fishing Heritage Centre, condemned the theft of charity donations. “I do not know how he can sleep at night,” he said.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Laura Tams expressed condolences.
“Learning that their relatives’ remains had not received proper care… has caused immeasurable additional grief and trauma,” she said.
During police questioning, Bush repeatedly answered “no comment.”
In a statement, he denied intentional wrongdoing, claiming he had made arrangements for funeral plans and was not responsible for donations.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue over five days, with impact statements from more than 100 victims.
