Christopher Phillips, 60, was jailed for two years and four months after admitting he kept his 89-year-old mother, Sylvia, in a freezer following her death on March 8, 2023. Police found Sylvia in February after responding to a welfare concern at the Porthcawl home. Prosecutors say Christopher fraudulently collected more than £78,190 (about $105,142) in pension and government payments after her death. An initial post-mortem has been carried out and further hearings into the circumstances of her death are planned.
Son Jailed After Storing 89-Year-Old Mother's Body In Freezer While Collecting Over £78,000
Christopher PhillipsCredit: South Wales Police
A 60-year-old Welsh man has been sentenced after keeping his 89-year-old mother's body in a domestic freezer for nearly three years while continuing to claim tens of thousands of pounds in her benefits.
On Monday, Aug. 3, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court sentenced Christopher Phillips to two years and four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body and to fraud by false representation.
Christopher PhillipsCredit: South Wales Police
Discovery And Charges
Police say officers attended a Porthcawl address on Feb. 17 following a welfare concern. Christopher told officers his mother was in London with relatives but would not provide names or addresses. During a search of the home, officers found a freezer topped with flowers; inside they discovered the body of an elderly woman later identified as Sylvia Phillips, who had died on March 8, 2023.
According to reporting from the BBC and Sky News, Sylvia was found wrapped in a leopard-print blanket with flowers and a birthday card. Prosecutors say that after her death Christopher obtained more than £78,190 (about $105,142) in various pension and government payments that he would not have been eligible to receive if the death had been reported.
Merthyr Tydfil Crown CourtCredit: Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty
Background And Court Details
Court coverage notes Sylvia adopted Christopher when he was two and that he became her primary carer in 2008. His lawyer, Ruth Smith, told the court the pair had shared a home for 50 years and said Christopher told police he "didn't want to let her go." Smith also said he had spoken to his mother as if she were still alive.
Court material indicates that two days after Sylvia's death Christopher allegedly purchased a chest freezer online and placed it in the dining room, where her body reportedly remained until police discovered it.
Investigation And Next Steps
South Wales Police said an initial post-mortem has been carried out but Sylvia's cause of death has not been determined; a further hearing into the circumstances of her death will take place "in due course."
"This is an extremely sad case where Phillips concealed his own mother's death and financially profited for a significant period," said Detective Chief Inspector Claire Lamerton. "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."
The case attracted significant local attention because of the length of time the body was kept and the alleged financial fraud that followed.
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