A son who kept his dead mother inside a freezer for nearly three years while receiving £78,000 of her benefits was today jailed for more than two years.Christopher Phillips, 60, hid the body of 89-year-old Silvia Phillips inside a chest freezer in the living room of their home in Porthcawl, South Wales. Her body was covered with a leopard-print throw adorned with yellow and pink roses and a birthday card reading: 'To Mum, from Christopher and Tina' – a reference to the family dog.Phillips, a company director, had claimed that after his mother's death he 'didn't want to let her go' and 'wanted more time with her'. Ruth Smith, defending, claimed her client was suffering from 'extreme grief' and placed her body in his living room so he could be near to her. She said Phillips would occasionally hold her hand and speak to her about what was on television.However, he later pleaded guilty to preventing his mother's lawful and decent burial and two counts of fraud by failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions and Bridgend County Borough Council that she had died.Phillips received a total of £78,190.92 in state pension, pensions credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost-of-living payments and housing benefit payments which would have ceased had Ms Phillips' death been reported.Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, the Recorder of Cardiff, today sentenced him to two years and four months in prison. Judge Lloyd-Clarke said: 'You continued to collect her prescriptions and misled medical professionals about her whereabouts, lying when enquiries were made about your mother, repeatedly telling medical staff that she did not wish to attend appointments or undergo tests.'Your mother's pension and benefits continued to be paid into her bank accounts which you were able to access.' Christopher Phillips, 60, previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of Silvia Phillips, 89, at their home in Porthcawl He also pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, by failing to notify the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as Bridgend County Borough Council, that his mother had died, over the same datesThe court heard Phillips had left work to become a full-time carer for his mother in the months leading up to her death on March 8, 2023.On the day his mother died – for reasons unknown – Phillips had held her in his arms and told her he would 'look after her'.Two days later, Phillips bought a chest freezer from AO.com and placed it in his living room with her body inside.The judge said: 'Although your mother suffered the indignity of being stored in a chest freezer for three years, there were no other indignities following her death.'Your offending is aggravated by the length of time over which you concealed your mother's death and because you had the financial advantage of continuing to receive her pension and benefits.'Ms Phillips's body was found by police officers in February 2026 after her GP raised concerns for her welfare.South Wales Police attended the house on a quiet cul-de-sac in shortly before 7pm on February 17.They confronted Phillips, who claimed his mother was staying in London with cousins. Bodycam footage showed the moment police arrested Phillips after they discovered his mothers body in a freezer in his living roomWhen officers pressed him further, Phillips could not provide details of the relatives or where they lived.He later answered 'no comment' to all questions during a police interview.Ms Smith, defending, said Phillips had been adopted by Ms Phillips at the age of two and was 'exceptionally close' to her.The court heard the pair had lived together for 50 years of his life and Phillips had been the primary carer for his mother since 2008.Ms Smith said the defendant had told police: 'I basically didn't want to let her go.'She added: 'He described talking to her as if she was still alive… Sitting next to her, talking to her about television programmes, Coronation Street, the horse racing, just as they always did.'Mr Phillips was a vulnerable individual with a vulnerable mental health situation at the time of his mother's death.'An inquest into Ms Phillips's death will take place in due course.