A British man who kept his deceased mother in a freezer for almost three years and pocketed close to £80,000 (CAD $151,000) of her welfare benefits was sentenced to more than two years in jail on Monday, South Wales Police said.

Christopher Phillips, 60, a former company director, admitted to 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, 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 are yet to establish her cause of death, though an initial post-mortem has been performed, investigators said in a statement on Monday.

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South Wales Police responded to a call at an address at Poplar Crescent, Porthcawl, on Feb. 17 following welfare concerns for a woman who had not been seen by medical professionals since 2022, despite having rolling prescriptions and previously consistent contact with her doctor, the statement says.

When asked about his mother’s whereabouts, Phillips told police she was in London visiting family members, but refused to share details about the relatives he claimed she was with.

Later, a search of the house revealed a freezer with flowers placed on top, located next to a birthday card from Phillips and his dog that read “To Mum, from Christopher and Tina,” the latter being their pet, The Guardian reported.

“Officers attended and the body of a woman in her 80s, now confirmed to be Sylvia Phillips, was found inside,” the statement said.

During further questioning by Welsh authorities, Phillips refused to answer, police said.

Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Claire Lamerton said: “This is an extremely sad case where Phillips concealed his own mother’s death and financially profited for a significant period.”

“My thoughts are with Sylvia’s loved ones during such a difficult time, and I hope they have found some peace having been able to properly lay her to rest,” she added.

Reuters reported that Phillips told a psychiatrist that he “didn’t want to let her go” and that his lawyers said Phillips had slept in the same room to be close to the body.

According to The Guardian, Phillips regularly placed flowers on the freezer and continued to talk to his mother about television shows they watched as well as horse racing, all while gaining access to her bank accounts and continuing to deceive people about her whereabouts.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Phillips to two years and four months in prison, saying his mother had “suffered the indignity of being stored in a chest freezer for three years” while he collected money intended for her.

“You continued to collect her prescriptions and misled medical professionals about her whereabouts, lying when inquiries were made about your mother, repeatedly telling medical staff that she did not wish to attend appointments or undergo tests,” she continued, the British outlet reported.

“Your mother’s pension and benefits continued to be paid into her bank accounts, which you were able to access,” she added.

Phillips’ lawyer told the court he and his mother were extremely close, having lived together for 50 years. The defendant had also been her primary caregiver since 2008 and left work in the months leading up to her death to take care of her full time, British media reported.

“Mr. Phillips was a vulnerable individual with a vulnerable mental health situation at the time of his mother’s death,” his lawyer, Ruth Smith, reportedly told the court.

–with files from Reuters