A FORMER funeral director in Cornwall has been handed a suspended prison sentence after admitting to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a deceased woman whose remains were left for weeks before cremation.

Jack Weekes, 32, of St Johns Road, Millbrook, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court to 15 months in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to the offence. The court also ordered him to complete 300 hours of unpaid community work within 12 months, undergo mental health treatment and pay a £187 victim surcharge.

Weekes had admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body between October 16 and December 4, 2023 at Millbrook, Cornwall. He had also been charged with fraud by false representation, but prosecutors offered no evidence on that count and it was not pursued.

The court heard that the case centred on the remains of a woman in her 80s who had been due to be cremated on October 16, 2023 at Glyn Valley Crematorium. Weekes had accepted payment for the funeral arrangements while acting as the proprietor of J Weekes Funeral Directors.

On the day before the scheduled cremation, an issue was identified with the necessary paperwork, meaning the cremation could not go ahead as planned. However, a memorial service still took place, with the intention that the cremation would be carried out once the documentation had been corrected. The court was told this type of delay was not unusual in the funeral industry.

Concerns arose later when the Liskeard Registrar contacted the crematorium and discovered that no notification of cremation had been received. When contacted, Weekes claimed the cremation had instead taken place at Weston Mill Crematorium.

Further enquiries revealed that this was untrue. The cremation had not occurred, and the woman’s body had remained at premises in Millbrook for approximately six and a half weeks. It was not until December 1, 2023 that the remains were removed and the cremation finally carried out.

Passing sentence, Judge James Adkin told Weekes that the offence represented a serious breach of trust and dignity. He warned that any breach of the suspended sentence would result in immediate imprisonment, adding that there would be “no second chance”.

After the hearing, Detective Inspector Peter Gee, who led the investigation, said police became involved after concerns were raised in March 2024 about the management of remains at a funeral director’s premises in Millbrook.

“An investigation was launched to determine whether any offences had been committed and to also provide reassurance to those affected,” he said. “We can confirm that offences committed, contrary to common law, related to one person and that all other remains at the premises were managed lawfully.

“Preventing a lawful burial is a profound breach of dignity. Our investigation has hopefully brought some support to the family affected by this.”

The case has prompted renewed attention on standards and oversight within the funeral profession, particularly in relation to the care and management of the deceased and the trust placed in funeral directors by grieving families.