A man has been sentenced to nearly two-and-a-half years in prison after storing his dead mother in a freezer and collecting more than £78,000 of her benefits.
Christopher Phillips, 60, previously pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of his mother Silvia Phillips, 89, at their home in Porthcawl, on the south coast of Wales.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, by failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as Bridgend County Borough Council, that his mother had died, over the same dates.
Phillips was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, sentenced him to two years and four months’ imprisonment.
Phillips had left work to become a full-time carer for his mother in the months leading up to her death on 8 March 2023, the court heard.
The cause of her death remains unknown.
After she passed away, Phillips bought a chest freezer and used it to store her body inside the living room of the home.
The court heard that the body was covered with a leopard print throw and found alongside roses and a birthday card, reading “To Mum, from Christopher and Tina”, a reference to the family dog.
Phillips received a total of £78,190.92 in benefits following his mother’s death.
