A Welsh man pleaded guilty on Thursday to concealing his elderly mother’s body in a chest freezer at their home for more than two years while fraudulently collecting her pension and benefits, a court in Cardiff heard.
Christopher Phillips, 60, appeared before Cardiff Crown Court and admitted to preventing the lawful and decent burial of his 89-year-old mother, Sylvia Phillips, a retired company secretary. The offence is recorded as occurring between October 2, 2022, and February 17, 2026, although the court was told she is believed to have died in 2023.
Police discovered Sylvia’s body in the chest freezer at the family home in Poplar Crescent, Porthcawl, in South Wales, after a general practitioner surgery contacted them to request a welfare check on an elderly patient. Phillips was arrested at the property.
Phillips also entered guilty pleas to two counts of fraud. Prosecutors say he failed to notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Bridgend Council of his mother’s death, enabling him to continue drawing down her pension and approximately 1,000 pounds per month in benefits to fund his own living expenses.
Defence barrister Ruth Smith told the court that a basis of plea had been entered specifying the date of death and that the defence was seeking bank statements and financial records from both agencies. “It is accepted that Mr Phillips did continue withdrawing the monies from his mother’s account and effectively lived on them,” Smith said.
The Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, remanded Phillips in custody and adjourned sentencing to June 2 to allow for a psychiatric report to be prepared.
A separate inquest opening at Pontypridd Coroners Court on Wednesday heard that the cause of Sylvia Phillips’ death remains undetermined, with criminal investigations still ongoing. The inquest was adjourned to a date to be fixed.
