Christopher Phillips kept his mother's body in a chest freezer for nearly three years and received £78,190.92 in benefits that would have stopped had her death been reported.
Phillips, 60, pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of Silvia Phillips, 89, and two counts of fraud by failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions and Bridgend County Borough Council that she had died. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the payments included state pension, pensions credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost-of-living payments and housing benefit payments.
Body stored in living room freezer
Silvia Phillips died on March 8, 2023, with the cause of death unknown. Her son had left work in the months before her death to become her full-time carer. After she died, he bought a chest freezer and kept her body inside the living room of her home in Porthcawl, Wales.
The body was found by South Wales Police in February 2026 after concerns were raised by the medical practice she had previously attended. It was covered with a leopard print throw and was found alongside roses and a birthday card reading "To Mum, from Christopher and Tina", a reference to the family dog.
'I basically didn't want to let her go'
Ruth Smith, defending, said Phillips had been adopted by Silvia Phillips at the age of two and was "exceptionally close" to her. The pair had lived together for 50 years of his life, and Phillips had been her primary carer since 2008.
Ms Smith told the court Phillips had said to police: "I basically didn’t want to let her go." She added: "He described talking to her as if she was still alive…Sitting next to her, talking to her about television programmes, Coronation Street, the horse racing, just as they always did."
"Mr Phillips was a vulnerable individual with a vulnerable mental health situation at the time of his mother’s death," Ms Smith said.
Judge: 'You misled medical professionals'
On Monday, 3 August, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, jailed Phillips to two years and four months. Judge Lloyd-Clarke told the court: "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 added: "Your mother's pension and benefits continued to be paid into her bank accounts which you were able to access."
Judge Lloyd-Clarke added: "Although your mother suffered the indignity of being stored in a chest freezer for three years, there were no other indignities following her death. 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."
Police comment
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Claire Lamerton said: "This is an extremely sad case where Phillips concealed his own mother’s death and financially profited for a significant period."
"My thoughts are with Sylvia’s loved ones during such a difficult time, and I hope they have found some peace having been able to properly lay her to rest."
