A 60-year-old British man has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison after keeping his elderly mother's body in a chest freezer for nearly three years while continuing to claim almost £78,000 in her pension and welfare benefits.
Christopher Phillips admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of his 89-year-old mother, Sylvia Phillips, who died in March 2023. Her body remained hidden inside a freezer at their home in Porthcawl, south Wales, until police discovered it during a welfare check in February 2026. He also pleaded guilty to fraud after receiving about £78,000 in benefits and pension payments following her death.
