A 54-year-old man has been given a suspended jail sentence for concealing his mother's body in a freezer to continue receiving her benefits. Philipe Brough, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful burial and fraud.
The body of his 90-year-old mother, Louise Brough, was found in the freezer of their flat in August last year. A postmortem examination revealed she had died of natural causes around the end of February. Brough admitted failing to inform the Department for Work and Pensions of her death to keep claiming her pension and carer benefits.
Prosecutor Martyn Booth told Portsmouth Crown Court that concerns were raised when the council tried to contact Mrs Brough about refurbishment work. Brough was evasive and claimed his mother was with an aunt in London. Police were alerted and found the freezer hidden behind a mattress, covered with a cardboard box and sealed with industrial tape.
The flat was described as being in disarray, typical of a hoarder. Brough had claimed a total of £5,390 in benefits after his mother's death, of which he had repaid £2,000. His defence lawyer said Brough had a history of depression and panicked after his mother's death, fearing he would lose his home.
Judge Roger Hetherington sentenced Brough to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with a 12-month supervision order. He accepted Brough acted out of an 'emotional inability to cope' but described the deception as inexcusable.
