"Mark Kerbey's actions are amongst the cruellest I have seen in my 18-year policing career and I'm glad that we have secured justice for the family despite his prolonged attempts not to be held accountable." 

PC Daniel Hart was speaking after 62-year-old Mark Kerbey was sentenced to a total of seven years and three months after being convicted of defrauding a grieving family out of a significant sum of money by promising to organise a funeral which never took place. 

In January 2020, a woman whose husband had died at Southend Hospital paid for Kerbey to organise the funeral of her husband, under the business 'Trinity Funeral Home'.

An approach had been made to the deceased's son to offer a service which would be cheaper that other companies in the area offered. 

Unbeknownst to the victim's family, that business had been banned from using the facilities at Bowers Gifford Crematorium and Southend cemetery in any capacity. 

In agreeing to arrange the funeral, Kerbey took money from the victim to the value of £2,600 and told the victim and her family the funeral had been arranged for Pitsea Crematorium on 21 February. 

Kerbey was aware that no funeral had been arranged as his attempts to book the service had been rebuked by the crematorium, whose staff knew Trinity Funeral Home was banned from using the venue. 

Despite that, Kerbey visited the family the night before the funeral and presented them with an order of service. 

However, when the congregation arrived at Pitsea Crematorium the following day it became apparent that no funeral had been arranged. 

When the family contacted Kerbey, he laid the blame on others. He also told the family they should come to his funeral home, where a service could be held instead. 

Inappropriately, he also sent a limousine to pick up the family which was prepared for use in a 13-year-old girl's birthday on the same day. 

When the mourning group arrived at the funeral home, they found it was a small 15ft by 15ft room and a large part of the group had to wait outside. 

The 20-minute service which bore no relation to the man who had died. 

In total, the family then had to pay an extra £700 to Kerbey for the body of their loved one to be released into the care of a new funeral service. 

On 17 March 2020, the man was finally laid to rest, but with no family present due to the money which had already been paid out. 

An investigation was launched when Kerbey's actions were brought to our attention. 

Following an investigation, Kerbey, of Station Road Westcliff, was charged with fraud by false representation. 

He was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday, 26 March.  

Kerbey has previously admitted separate charges, including two counts of perverting the course of justice and two counts of fraud by false representation. 

He was sentenced for all offences on Friday (25 July). 

PC Hart said: "I really want to pay tribute to our victim, whose evidence in court was impactive and emotional. I am not sure others could find the strength that she has had to do that after the loss of her husband. Her determination throughout this case has been incredible. 

"I'm glad Kerbey can't offend any longer – hopefully for a long time. His actions are amongst the cruellest I have seen in my 18-year policing career and I'm glad that we have secured justice for the family despite his prolonged attempts not to be held accountable.

"Ultimately, he preyed on people at their most vulnerable and that is inexcusable."

PC Hart also praised the work of retired-PC Leigh Stevenson, who put retirement on hold a number of times until it became too difficult to do so. 

He added: "Her work to compile all the information given to her and then present it to the Crown Prosecution Service was the basis on which this prosecution against Kerbey was based.

"I am pleased I was able to see the right result returned for Leigh, who lived and breathed this investigation for many years."