Christopher Phillips, 60, was sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment for preventing the lawful and decent burial of his mother, Silvia Phillips, 89, and for defrauding the Department for Work and Pensions and Bridgend County Borough Council. The court heard that Phillips kept his mother's body in a chest freezer in his living room for nearly three years.
Silvia Phillips died on March 8, 2023. Two days later, her son purchased a chest freezer and placed it in his living room, where her body remained. Police discovered the body during a welfare check requested by the deceased's GP, who had been repeatedly denied access to the property by Phillips. The cause of Ms. Phillips' death remains unknown.
During the period her body was in the freezer, Phillips claimed a total of £78,190.92 in benefits. He pleaded guilty to preventing a lawful and decent burial and two counts of fraud by failing to notify the relevant authorities of his mother's death. Phillips had stated to authorities that he "did not want to let her go" and "wanted more time" after her death.