Son jailed after keeping mother’s body in freezer for nearly three years

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A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and four months in prison after keeping his dead mother’s body in a chest freezer at their family home for nearly three years and continuing to collect her pension and other benefits.

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Christopher Phillips was arrested after police discovered the body of his 89-year-old mother, Sylvia Phillips, at their home in Poplar Crescent, Porthcawl, Bridgend county, in February.

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Sylvia died on March 8, 2023, but her death was not reported to authorities.

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Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard that Phillips, who had been adopted by Sylvia at the age of two, was “exceptionally close” to his mother and had been her sole carer since 2008.

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The court was told that after her death, Phillips said he “did not want to let her go” and “wanted more time”.

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Two days after Sylvia died, Phillips purchased a chest freezer and placed it in the dining room of their semi-detached home, where her body remained until police found it during a welfare check requested by her GP.

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Her body was discovered wrapped in a leopard-print silk blanket, with yellow and pink roses placed on it. A birthday card signed “To Mum, from Christopher and Tina” — referring to the family dog — was also found with her.

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Police had carried out the welfare check after Sylvia’s GP practice made repeated attempts to contact her but was unable to gain access to the property.

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When officers visited the home, Phillips claimed his mother had moved to London and did not want to undergo medical tests.

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However, officers became suspicious after noticing that he was trembling and fidgeting. He later ran upstairs and was heard telling his girlfriend on the phone: “The police are going to arrest me, you’ve got the will.”

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Officers eventually opened the freezer and found Sylvia’s body. Because she had been frozen for an extended period, it took some time before a post-mortem examination could be conducted.

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The pathologist was unable to determine her cause of death, although the court heard there were no suspected suspicious circumstances surrounding it.

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Phillips had reportedly moved downstairs to sleep near the freezer containing his mother’s body. At times, he would open it and hold her hand.

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The court heard Sylvia had attended her GP practice 26 times in 2021 and six times in 2022. She was last seen at an accident and emergency department on September 24, 2022, while her GP visited her at home two days later.

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After that, Phillips continued collecting her prescriptions despite her having no further contact with the practice.

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Sylvia had also been invited for a medical review, but Phillips reportedly told the practice that she would not attend and did not need blood tests.

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The court heard Phillips received £78,190.92 in state pension, pension credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost-of-living payments and housing benefits after his mother’s death.

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Those payments would have stopped if her death had been reported.

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Phillips had resigned from his job in late 2022 as his mother’s health deteriorated and was described in court as a vulnerable and isolated individual.

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His lawyer, Ruth Smith, said Phillips had told police: “I basically didn’t want to let her go.”

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She said he continued talking to his mother as though she were still alive, discussing television programmes such as Coronation Street and horse racing with her.

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Smith said Phillips was “extremely close to his mother” and had experienced “extreme grief” following her death.

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She added that he appeared to have developed a “false narrative that she was still alive” because he was unable to accept her death.

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Phillips pleaded guilty to three offences, including failing to lawfully and decently bury his mother and continuing to claim her pension and benefits.

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Sentencing him to two years and four months, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said Phillips had “deliberately concealed” his mother’s death and taken steps to make it appear that she was still alive.

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The judge said Phillips had continued collecting his mother’s prescriptions, lied to medical professionals and eventually lied to police.

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“Rather than notify the authorities and make arrangements for her lawful burial, you purchased a chest freezer on March 10th and concealed her body within it,” the judge said.

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Phillips will spend 40% of his sentence in custody, with the remainder served on licence. The court also heard that confiscation proceedings would follow.

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