A man has been sentenced to prison for keeping his deceased mother’s body in a freezer while fraudulently claiming her benefits. Christopher Phillips, aged 60, admitted to not burying his mother, Sylvia Phillips, 89, and continued to collect over £78,000 of her benefits over nearly three years.

In addition to the burial offense, Phillips pleaded guilty to defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions and Bridgend County Borough Council by not reporting his mother’s death. He was apprehended after authorities found his mother’s body in the freezer on February 17.

The Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, sentenced Phillips to two years and four months in prison at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court. Phillips had quit his job to care for his mother before her passing in March 2023, under unknown circumstances.

Following her death, Phillips bought a chest freezer to keep her body in the living room, covered with a leopard print throw and surrounded by roses and a birthday card addressed to “Mum, from Christopher and Tina,” referring to the family pet. He received a total of £78,190.92 in benefits after her demise.

Police visited Phillips’ residence on Poplar Crescent after receiving a welfare concern call about his mother, leading to the grim discovery. An inquest at Pontypridd Coroners’ Court revealed that the cause of Mrs. Phillips’ death is still undetermined, pending further investigation.

A post mortem conducted at the University Hospital of Wales did not provide a conclusive cause of death, requiring additional inquiries.