UK jails man for claiming late mum’s benefits while keeping her body in freezer

A British man who kept his mother’s ⁠body in ⁠a freezer for nearly ⁠three years while he received almost £80,000 (US$108,000) of her welfare benefits was jailed on Monday.

Christopher Phillips, 60, had admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of his 89-year-old mother Sylvia Phillips after ‌she died in March 2023 until his arrest at their home in Porthcawl, south Wales, in February this year.

Phillips also pleaded guilty to fraud after he received about £78,000 in benefits and pension payments after his mother’s death. Police said the cause of death ⁠is not yet known.

Officers attended Phillips’ address in February after concerns were ‌raised about his mother, whom medical professionals had not seen since September 2022.

Phillips told police she was in ‌London with relatives, but a search of the home led ⁠to officers ⁠discovering a freezer with Sylvia Phillips’ body inside, covered with flowers and next to a birthday ‌card from her son and his dog.