My dad’s body was ‘lost’ by a funeral firm for four weeks – we spent Christmas without his ashes and my mum’s broken
A FURIOUS family have slammed a funeral firm after they “lost” their relatives body in a morgue for four weeks. Devastated Martine Barnhouse claims that a cremation company forgot about her dad’s body as the family were waiting for his ashes. Peter Edwards, from Cilfynydd, Wales, passed away on November 18 after suffering from a […]
A FURIOUS family have slammed a funeral firm after they “lost” their relatives body in a morgue for four weeks.
Devastated Martine Barnhouse claims that a cremation company forgot about her dad’s body as the family were waiting for his ashes.
Peter Edwards, from Cilfynydd, Wales, passed away on November 18 after suffering from a heart attack aged 73.
His family were assured that his body would be cremated within four weeks and his ashes would be delivered by December 21 at the latest.
Martine has been left appalled by the “lack of respect” shown by Simplicity Cremations, and was furious after calling them to ask where her dad was and they “didn’t have a clue”.
The family contacted University hospital of wales in Cardiff where he died to confirm that his body was still in the morgue.
The hospital stated that the company had not been in touch regarding the cremation, and Martine claimed that they also failed to notify a funeral home about his death.
Martine, 53, called the company, which had been picked out by her late dad, to organise the cremation on November 20.
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The company assured her father’s body would be picked up from the hospital on Tuesday, November 23, to be cremated, but when she called on December 21 she was told “I don’t know where your father is.”
Speaking to Wales Online she said: “The only thing keeping my mother going was the fact she was going to have my dad’s ashes back before Christmas.”
“I said: ‘What do you mean you don’t know where my father is?’ And he said: ‘I don’t know’.
“I was hysterical on the phone. I couldn’t believe it”.
The cremation company falsely claimed that they did have her dad’s body after the family checked with the hospital.
She added: “I said: ‘Well if you’ve got him how is he in the University Hospital of Wales?’
“He said: ‘How do you know he’s in the hospital?’ and I said: ‘My partner’s rung the hospital – you’ve left my father in the hospital for four weeks’.”
The company then claimed that the error was due to payment, despite the family paying in full in November.
Martine was told that someone would call her back regarding paperwork, which is needed to start the cremation service.
She was granted a refund at her request, which is still being processedand the family has now entrusted Mr Edwards’ cremation to a different funeral director.
Martine said: “They took my father’s details, they went to the hospital and asked for the death certificate, they took my money and they stopped at that – they did nothing.
“And my father stayed for four weeks in the hospital. Since contacting them again they did not agree that my father’s ashes would be back in four weeks maximum.
“If they hadn’t told me his ashes would be back by the 21st my mother wouldn’t have expected them for Christmas and I wouldn’t have rung them. My dad would have been there for weeks longer.
They forgot about him – I don’t care why they forgot about him, why he was left there – he was forgotten about
Martine Barnhouse
“It’s not about the money. It’s about the dignity and the lack of respect for my dad.
“To know that your dad has been treated this way – he’s just been forgotten by a company that you entrust – it’s just so disrespectful to anybody’s parents, to anybody’s family member.
“It’s broke my mother. She was doing so well before all of this. She’s in disgust and disbelief that somebody could do that to my dad.
“That’s my biggest thing. It’s the fact that they let us down. They forgot about him – I don’t care why they forgot about him, why he was left there – he was forgotten about.
“And he would have still been there now if I hadn’t made that phone call. And the fact that when I did ring they didn’t know where he was and I had to tell them where he was.”
Andrew Judd, director of funerals at Dignity, the company which Simplicity Cremations and D Caesar Jones Funeral Directors is a part of, said: “We sincerely apologise for the upset Mrs Barnhouse and her family have experienced due to the delay of the cremation of the late Mr Edwards.
“We know this doesn’t go far enough to lessen the pain of not having his ashes home for Christmas but I am personally engaging with Mrs Barnhouse to offer support where we can at this time.
“D Caesar Jones, Dignity’s funeral director branch in Cardiff, arranged for an unattended service for the family, which took place this week.
“This incident is not representative of the high standards and care we deliver to our clients.
“We are now conducting a thorough investigation to understand exactly what has happened and, most importantly, what we can do to prevent this from happening again.”
