Man jailed for concealing mother's body in freezer, claiming £78k in benefits

A 60-year-old man has been jailed after concealing his mother's body in a chest freezer at their home for almost three years while continuing to claim more than £78,000 in her pension and state benefits. Christopher Phillips, from Porthcawl, Wales, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison after admitting failing to lawfully bury his mother and fraudulently claiming her pension, housing benefit and winter fuel payments following her death, BBC reported. His mother, Sylvia Phillips, died aged 89 in March 2023, but her body was not discovered until February 2026, when police carried out a welfare check requested by her GP.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that Phillips bought a chest freezer two days after his mother's death and placed her body inside, where it remained for nearly three years. When officers visited the property, Phillips claimed his mother had moved to London and did not wish to undergo medical tests. Police became suspicious and searched the house, eventually finding her body wrapped in a leopard-print blanket inside the freezer, surrounded by yellow and pink roses. A birthday card addressed "To Mum, from Christopher and Tina" — the family's dog — was also found. A post-mortem examination could not establish Sylvia Phillips' exact cause of death because her body had remained frozen for such a long period. Investigators said there was no evidence to suggest her death was suspicious.

The court heard Phillips later told doctors he "did not want to let her go" and "wanted more time" after her death. He had reportedly moved downstairs to sleep near the freezer and would occasionally open it to hold his mother's hand. Despite her death, Phillips continued collecting her prescriptions and repeatedly told medical staff she did not need appointments or blood tests. The deception continued until concerns raised by her GP prompted police to visit the property. Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Phillips had deliberately concealed his mother's death and misled medical professionals and police for years. "You continued to collect her prescription and lied to medical professionals and eventually the police," the judge said. "Rather than notify the authorities and make arrangements for her lawful burial, you purchased a chest freezer... and concealed her body within it." The court heard Phillips received £78,190.92 in pension and benefit payments after his mother's death. Confiscation proceedings are expected to follow.