Baby's body put in woman's coffin

The two put a child's body in a coffin with a dead grandmother

Two funeral workers who put the body of a baby between the legs of a dead grandmother in her coffin would be "despised and reviled", a judge said.

Mark Eshelby of East Lothian and Graeme Skidmore of Northallerton put Benjamin Judson's body in with the woman because they had bungled the child's funeral.

Both men were handed 18-month suspended sentences at York Crown Court and were each fined £5,000.

Benjamin's parents had grieved at an empty grave for nine years.

The baby lived for only 20 minutes after being born at York Hospital in December 1998.

When the two realised the child had not been buried they "panicked" and put his body in the coffin of 85-year-old Evelyn Sayner who was due to be cremated later that day.

Men will despise and revile you, point you out as men who did this Judge Paul Hoffmann

The bodies were cremated and Benjamin's parents, Paula and David Judson had then visited the child's grave for the next nine years unaware the coffin was empty.

Eshelby and Skidmore had pleaded guilty to conspiring to prevent the lawful burial of a baby boy on New Year's Eve 1998.

Recorder of York Judge Paul Hoffmann said their behaviour was "abhorrent" and caused "unimaginable" grief to both families.

He accepted their actions were not motivated by malice, but they had panicked and made a mistake.

Concealed mistake

Judge Hoffmann said: "You leave the dock as shamed men. Men who will forever be tainted by the scandalous nature of what you did.

"Wherever you go, whatever job you seek, men will despise and revile you, point you out as men who did this. You will deserve all of that."

Prosecutor Simon Kealey said on the day Benjamin was due to be buried another funeral director, Emma Barnes, noticed the baby's coffin was empty as the cortege left the mortuary.

She ran upstairs and told Skidmore. He then found Eshelby and the pair decided to conceal the mistake.

Moments later Ms Barnes noticed both of them standing over Mrs Sayner's coffin. Skidmore was putting the child's body between the grandmother's legs.

She was told to keep quiet and the cremation of both bodies went ahead.

Family 'grateful'

Outside the court Mr and Mrs Judson's solicitor said: "The Judson family have private feelings which they understandably want to keep private.

"They are at least grateful for the guilty pleas which have been entered and the explanation which has now been given as to why a proper funeral was not afforded to Benjamin.

"An explanation which has remained a secret for perhaps too long."

Mrs Sayner's grandson Shane also spoke of the relief: "This whole experience has been very upsetting for our family. We were very close to our nana and could not believe what we were told by the police when they came to visit us."

A spokesman for the funeral company said: "Co-operative Funeral Services provides a professional and caring service to thousands of bereaved families across the North of England every year.

"The events which gave rise to the court case took place over eight years ago and our current procedures would ensure that a similar incident could not happen today.

"Now that the court case has ended, we will ensure that we will learn any lessons from this distressing case.

"Our thoughts are with the families at this time."