Man jailed for keeping dead mother in freezer while claiming £78,000 in benefits
Christopher Phillips, 60, previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of Silvia Phillips, 89, at their home in Porthcawl
Last updated 3rd Aug 2026
A man has been jailed after keeping his dead mother inside a freezer for nearly three years while continuing to receive more than £78,000 of her benefits.
Christopher Phillips, 60, previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of Silvia Phillips, 89, at their home in Porthcawl.
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.
At Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on Monday, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, sentenced Phillips to two years and four months’ imprisonment.
The court heard Phillips had left work to become a full-time carer for his mother in the months leading up to her death on March 8 2023.
Following her death, for which the cause remains unknown, the defendant purchased a chest freezer and used this to store her body inside the living-room of the property.
The court heard 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.