Son who kept mum's body in freezer for years collected £78k of her benefits

Christopher Phillips, 60, has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison for keeping his deceased mother, Sylvia Phillips, 89, in a chest freezer for nearly three years while continuing to collect her pension and benefits. The court heard that Sylvia Phillips' body was found in the living room of their family home in Poplar Crescent, Porthcawl, Bridgend county, in February 2023.

Phillips admitted to three offences, including failing to bury his mother lawfully and decently, and continuing to claim her pension and benefits totaling £78,190.92. Judge Lloyd-Clarke emphasized that Phillips had deliberately concealed his mother's death and took steps to give the impression that she was still alive, adding that he continued to collect her prescriptions and lied to medical professionals and eventually the police.

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