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.
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.
Sylvia died on March 8, 2023, but her death was not reported to authorities.
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.
The court was told that after her death, Phillips said he “did not want to let her go” and “wanted more time”.
