Burglar who broke into funeral parlour and had sex with corpse jailed for six years

Kasim Shazada Khurum, 23, forced his way into a Central England Co-op Funeralcare parlour, pictured, on November 11 last year. Photo / via Google Maps

A burglar in the UK who broke into a funeral parlour before having sex with a corpse has been jailed for six years.

Kasim Shazada Khurum, 23, forced his way into a Central England Co-op Funeralcare parlour on November 11 last year before violating a dead body at around 1.40am.

The Birmingham Crown Court heard how he lifted the lids of several coffins inside the funeral home in Great Barr, Birmingham, before choosing his victim.

Another body was found face down while seven other coffins - including that of a baby - were also disturbed.

Police said at the sentencing that Khurum's actions "offended all human sensibility".

Khurum, who had been drinking vodka and smoking an artificial form of cannabis, told officers: "I bet you think I've been 'sh***ing them don't you?"

The victim's family wept as they heard details of what Khurum did to the bodies of their loved ones.

Sentencing, Judge Melbourne Inman QC said: "The offences you have committed offend all human sensibility.

"It would be difficult to think of a greater deprivation of the dignity of the dead other than that which you did to the victim.

"I have not been able to find any similar case.

"Your intention was to steal anything you could find of value inside. You broke into the office and then you went further into the building.

"There were nine bodies at rest in the chapel of rest and you set about disturbing all nine. One of the bodies was only a mere baby.

"By the time you was arrested it was found all nine coffins had been disturbed.

"One of the lids had been left on the face of a person leaving a mark. Another female had been moved out of the coffin with her lower clothes removed.

"It was total degradation of the dead."

Prosecutor Robert Price said: "Members of the family involved sought counselling and medication. It was the violation of a beautiful person.

"The family have been caused immeasurable hurt."

In a statement read to the court, the family said: "The actions of this monster is like a thunderbolt to the heart of our family. We were already dealing with grief.

"The pain caused by this cannot be expressed."