Undertaker prevented woman's burial for weeks

An undertaker left a pensioner's body at his funeral directors business for more than a month after she should have been buried, a court heard.

Jack Weekes, 32, of Millbrook, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a woman, named in court as 86-year-old Elizabeth Penhaligan, whose family had paid the defendant £3,382 in full ahead of the funeral.

Truro Crown Court heard Mrs Penhaligan was cremated on 1 December 2023 - about six weeks after it was meant to have taken place on 16 October at Glynn Valley Crematorium in Bodmin.

Weekes was jailed for one year and three months, suspended for two years, at Truro Crown Court.

Weekes was also ordered to serve 300 hours of unpaid work in the community and complete mental health treatment.

A second charge of fraud by false representation, which Weekes had denied, was ordered to lie on file.

The court heard Weekes was in debt and had spent money he received from Mrs Penhaligan's family to pay off his credit card.

It heard Mrs Penhaligan's son had tried to contact Weekes for some time to collect his mother's ashes, but was told by others at J Weekes Funeral Directors the cremation had not taken place.

While Mrs Penhaligan's body remained at the funeral directors, other services took place without issue.

The court heard this had left the family "beyond distressed" as they had believed the cremation had already taken place.

In a statement read out at court, Mrs Penhaligan's son Andrew said: "When the incident first occurred, I began to suffer with nightmares, and I have continued to do so for the last 18 months.

"I feel that I've not had any proper closure since my mum's passing and I've not been able to say goodbye to my mum properly."

Weekes was experiencing financial problems and the young father also suffered mental health problems as there had been a number of funerals involving children at the time, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge James Adkin said Weekes had "told lies to cover your back" after suggesting Mrs Penhaligan had been cremated in Plymouth, when she had not.

He acknowledged Weekes was experiencing financial problems but said he had belied his trusted position in the community.

"The nature of your business meant that you were always dealing with vulnerable and grieving family members who expected their loved one's funeral arrangements to be characterised by care and dignity, neither of which were afforded to Mrs Penhaligan," he said.

Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].