Christopher Phillips, 60, has been jailed for two years and four months after admitting to storing his mother's body in a chest freezer at their shared home in Porthcawl, south Wales, for nearly three years. During this period, he fraudulently received more than £78,000 in benefits and accessed her savings, according to Merthyr Crown Court.
Discovery of the Deception
The case came to light in February this year when police conducted a welfare check after doctors raised concerns about not hearing from Sylvia Phillips, who was 89 at the time of her death. Initially, Phillips told officers his mother was in London with cousins, but when pressed for details, he could not provide them. Officers then discovered her body in the living room freezer, covered with a leopard print throw, alongside roses and a birthday card addressed to "To Mum, from Christopher and Tina," referring to the family dog.
A Disturbing Ritual
The court heard that Phillips, who had been his mother's primary carer since 2008, bought the freezer two days after her death and regularly placed flowers on top of it. He continued to talk to her about soap operas such as Coronation Street and horse racing, treating her as if she were still alive. His defence barrister, Ruth Smith, stated that Phillips told police: "I basically didn't want to let her go," and described how he would sit next to the freezer and chat with her as they always had done.
Financial Exploitation
Phillips, a former company director, accessed his mother's bank accounts, made withdrawals from her savings, and continued to receive her pension, pension credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost of living payments, and housing benefit. The total amount he fraudulently obtained was £78,190.92, which would have ceased had her death been reported. He also collected her prescriptions and misled medical professionals about her whereabouts, repeatedly telling them she did not wish to attend appointments or undergo tests.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the recorder of Cardiff, sentenced Phillips to two years and four months in prison. She told him: "You continued to collect her prescriptions and misled medical professionals about her whereabouts, lying when inquiries were made about your mother, repeatedly telling medical staff that she did not wish to attend appointments or undergo tests." The judge also noted that his mother's pension and benefits continued to be paid into her bank accounts, which he was able to access.
Phillips pleaded guilty to preventing a decent and lawful burial and two counts of fraud. The senior investigating officer, DCI Claire Lamerton, commented: "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."
The court also heard that Phillips had left work to become a full-time carer in the months leading up to his mother's death in March 2023. His defence highlighted that he had been "exceptionally close" to his mother, having lived with her for 50 years, and that he was a vulnerable individual with mental health issues at the time. Despite this, the judge determined that the severity of the offences warranted a custodial sentence.
