A 60-year-old man in Wales has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison after keeping his mother's body in a freezer for three years so he could keep collecting her pension and benefits.
Christopher Phillips was sentenced by a court in Cardiff after pleading guilty to preventing the lawful and decent burial of his mother, along with two counts of fraud against the British state. He unlawfully collected a total of 78,190.92 pounds, or roughly 91,000 euros, according to the Daily Mail.
Bought a freezer two days after her death
Sylvia Phillips, 89, died on March 8, 2023, under circumstances that have not yet been clarified. The court heard that her son was holding her in his arms when she died, and that he promised her he would take care of her.
Two days later, he bought a large freezer and placed it in the living room of their home in Porthcawl, south Wales, then put his mother's body inside. The body was covered with a leopard-print cloth, and a birthday card inside read, "To Mum, from Christopher and Tina," Tina being the family's dog.
Collected pension and benefits
While concealing his mother's death, Phillips never notified the Department for Work and Pensions or the local council. As a result, payments kept going into her bank account, including the state pension, pension credit, attendance allowance, cost of living payments, winter fuel payment and housing benefit. He had access to his mother's bank accounts and, according to the court, unlawfully collected more than 91,000 euros.
Misled health authorities
Judge Tracy Lloyd-Clarke said Phillips systematically misled health authorities. He kept collecting her prescription medication, and when doctors asked to see her, he claimed she did not want to attend appointments or examinations. The judge said the prolonged concealment of the death and the financial gain he made were decisive factors in his conviction.
"Didn't want to let her go"
The defense argued Phillips was in a state of extreme grief following his mother's death, having had an exceptionally close relationship with her. Sylvia Phillips had adopted him at age two, and the two lived together for around five decades; from 2008 he had taken on her full-time care. His lawyer said Phillips told police he did not want to let her go. The court heard he continued to sit beside her body, hold her hand and talk to her as though she were still alive, discussing television shows, horse races and their favorite series. The defense described him as a highly vulnerable person with serious mental health problems after his mother's death.
How the case came to light
The case emerged in February 2026, when the elderly woman's family doctor raised concerns about her disappearance. Police who visited the home were initially told by Phillips that his mother was in London staying with relatives, but he could not provide any details about them or their address. Police then found her body inside the freezer and arrested him; he refused to answer investigators' questions afterward.
Exact cause of death awaited
The judge noted that although the 89-year-old was denied a dignified burial for nearly three years, there was no evidence her body had been mistreated after death. She said the concealment of the death and the large sums collected in pensions and benefits significantly worsened his position. The investigation into the exact cause of Sylvia Phillips's death is expected to be completed as part of the standard coroner's process.
