A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison after keeping his late mother’s body in a chest freezer for nearly three years while fraudulently collecting more than £78,000 in her pension and benefits.
Christopher Phillips was jailed by Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after admitting to preventing the lawful and decent burial of his 89-year-old mother, Silvia Phillips, and pleading guilty to two counts of fraud.
The court heard that Phillips concealed his mother’s death after she died on March 8, 2023, by storing her body in a chest freezer in the living room of their home in Porthcawl, Wales.
Prosecutors said he failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions and Bridgend County Borough Council of her death, allowing her pension and benefits to continue being paid into bank accounts he could access.
Passing sentence, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Phillips repeatedly deceived medical professionals to hide the fact that his mother had died.
“You continued to collect her prescriptions and misled medical professionals about her whereabouts, lying when enquiries were made about your mother, repeatedly telling medical staff that she did not wish to attend appointments or undergo tests,” the judge said.
The judge added that Phillips continued to benefit financially while concealing his mother’s death.
“Your mother’s pension and benefits continued to be paid into her bank accounts which you were able to access,” he said.
The court was told Phillips had stopped working to care for his mother before her death. After she died, he purchased a chest freezer and kept her body there while continuing to withdraw money from her accounts.
Commenting on the seriousness of the offences, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said the prolonged concealment of the death and the financial gain were aggravating factors.
“Although your mother suffered the indignity of being stored in a chest freezer for three years, there were no other indignities following her death,” he said.
“Your offending is aggravated by the length of time over which you concealed your mother’s death and because you had the financial advantage of continuing to receive her pension and benefits.”
Silvia Phillips’ body was eventually discovered after her GP practice requested a welfare check when staff became concerned they had not heard from her.
At an earlier inquest, coroner’s officer Joanne Webb told the court that police made the discovery while carrying out the welfare check.
“Police received a phone call from a GP practice requesting a welfare check on an elderly patient. During the search of the property they located the body of a female believed to be Sylvia Phillips in a chest freezer,” Webb said.
The court also heard that the body was found covered with a leopard-print throw and placed alongside roses and a birthday card that read, “To Mum, from Christopher and Tina,” a reference to the family’s dog.
An inquest into Silvia Phillips’ death remains open, with the exact cause of death yet to be determined pending further investigations.
