Siblings face £59k bill after family row saw mother’s body left unburied for four years

Siblings face £59k bill after family row saw mother’s body left unburied for four years Laura Collins died without making a will after contracting Covid in 2022 - Bookmark Two siblings have been left facing a £59,000 bill following a family dispute which saw their mother's dead body lying unburied for four years. Mother-of-five Laura Collins died without making a will after getting Covid in 2022. Her oldest son Godfrey, 59, organised his mother's funeral along with sister Joan, 57. However, an "unusual" and "shocking" series of delays and an "extended disagreement between siblings" left Ms Collins' body still stored in an undertaker’s drawer four years later. Middle son Michael Collins, 49, backed by his other two siblings Cheryl and Clint, eventually sued his older brother and sister, asking the High Court in London to hand him control of his mother's body, along with her £725,000 estate. He told the court he had been "messed about" by his two older siblings. At one stage, he texted Godfrey asking about the huge delay in organising their mother’s funeral, with Godrey replying "I've got a lot on". A judge, Chief Master Karen Shuman, has now appointed Michael as administrator of the estate, giving him control of his mother's funeral and distributing her money between the siblings. "There must be one person in charge to allow the family to come together as far as possible in dignity," said the judge. "The deceased can now be laid to rest with dignity. That is what ordinary humanity now demands." The court heard that Ms Collins moved from Grenada to London in the 1960s. She worked in healthcare and raised five children in the capital. However, she contracted Covid and was admitted to Charing Cross Hospital in 2022, where she would remain for six months until her ventilator was turned off and she died. A "shocking" situation unfolded soon after, as Joan and Godfrey launched a legal challenge over the decision to turn the ventilator off. The older siblings "were unable to accept that the death of the deceased was not the fault of the hospital caring for her", the judge said. Years of delays followed, with the younger siblings being told there was "a case for prosecuting against the hospital" and that an inquest was pending – but which the judge said had never actually happened. An added complication was a possibility being raised of repatriating Ms Collins' body to Grenada. An "extended disagreement between siblings" followed during the years of delay, with Michael telling the judge that he had to go to court in the end "due to being messed about" by Godfrey and Joan. "They wouldn't confirm anything and kept on moving the goalposts," he said. Meanwhile, their mother's body was being stored in an undertaker's drawer in Leyton, east London, at a cost of £20 per day. It has racked up a £5,500 bill so far. The court heard that all five siblings had an equal right to deal with their mum's estate – which includes a £725,000 property in West Kensington – as she died intestate, or without a will. But the judge went on to make an order appointing Michael the sole administrator in the "unusual" circumstances of the case. "The unusual and troubling feature of this case is that despite the passage of nearly four years since the deceased's death, no grant has been obtained and more worryingly she has not been buried," she said. "I hadn't realised until I looked at the detail of the case how long it had been since the death, but that is actually quite shocking. I find it just remarkable. "There may be reason why the defendants can't cope with or accept the death of their mother, but that is no reason. This lady is a mother and a grandmother, her body needs to be buried. "There has been a litany of excuses about what was being done. It was suggested there was an inquest, but there wasn't an inquest. "This claim is urgent. The deceased has yet to be buried four years after her death and furthermore there is an ongoing storage charge of £20 a day for her body. "Funerals perform an important function and provide an opportunity for friends and family to accept the fact of death and to mourn. "Ordinarily, no child enjoys priority over any other. However, where special circumstances exist, the court can pass over siblings to support the proper administration of the estate. "It is necessary and expedient to pass over Godfrey and Joan. The overarching concern is that the body be disposed of with proper dignity and if possible without further unnecessary delay. "It appears to be the case that Joan and Godfrey were unable to accept that the death of the deceased was not the fault of the hospital caring for her. Many complaints were made about her care by Joan and Godfrey. "Almost four years have passed since her death. The body remains in storage. That situation is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to continue. "I find that the delay was caused by, or mainly caused by, Joan and Godfrey and the result has been one of paralysis. "This is not an ordinary case of siblings disagreeing...The result has been stalemate, indignity for the deceased's body and suffering for her family and friends. "There must be one person in charge to allow the family to come together as far as possible in dignity. "The deceased can now be laid to rest with dignity. That is what ordinary humanity now demands." She went on to order the body to be buried in a Catholic graveyard in London, "with the exact church to be chosen by Michael". Michael is to fund the funeral, but to reclaim the costs from the estate.He is also to pay off the £5,500 storage charges, then reclaim them from Joan and Godfrey's portion of the estate. The legal costs of the case of £53,332 are also to be paid from the older siblings' share of the estate, if not paid first. In a statement outside court afterwards, the younger siblings thanked their lawyers, adding: "Laura Collins was a mother of five, grandmother of three and a dear friend to many. "She arrived in the UK in the 1960s and made her home in west London. Laura worked hard to raise her family by working in healthcare and other service industries. She was a kind and hard working woman who was well-loved by all who knew her. "Despite the racism and hostility she endured during the 1960s to 1980s, she loved living in London and had a real sense of community. "She enjoyed dancing, music and was god-fearing. She loved soca and calypso music, baking and cooking traditional Caribbean dishes. "She is missed greatly and we are grateful to Master Shuman for allowing us to lay her body to rest."