Son kept father's body in bed for five months so he could claim his benefits while telling 10-year-old daughter he was just asleep

Christopher Blackburn claimed £2,000 while living with the emaciated corpse

Told police he had had a drink with his father at Christmas

Neighbours thought he was caring for his sick parent



'Abhorrent': Christopher Blackburn lived with his father's corpse for nearly five months while claiming £2,000 of his benefit payments

A man left his father's dead body in bed for nearly five months so he could claim his benefit payments - even telling his innocent 10-year-old daughter that her grandfather was just asleep.



Christopher Blackburn was jailed for three years after police found the body of his father Guy, 54, on a bed in the living room of his home in Penwortham, Lancashire.

The macabre discovery was made after neighbours raised concerns when they did not see the elder Mr Blackburn for five months.



Blackburn had been living at the house alongside the body but kept quiet about his father's death as he pocketed nearly £2,000.



The 29-year-old, now of Birkby, Huddersfield, admitted preventing a lawful and decent burial of a dead body between October 31, 2010 and March 22 last year.



He also pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to theft after collecting £1,869 of his father's income support payments from the post office.

Sentencing him at Preston Crown Court, Recorder Judge Anthony Russell said: 'Such offending is abhorrent to all decent-minded people who will be disgusted by your behaviour.

'It was callous and offensive to his [Guy Blackburn's] friends and family who no doubt have been caused considerable distress by these circumstances.

'It also seems to me that you were motivated in part by greed.'

Blackburn falsely told police he had spoken to his father since November 2010 and had had a drink with him at Christmas.

Concerns: Police found the body of Guy Blackburn, 54, on a bed in the living room of his home in Penwortham, Lancashire

An inquest last February was told Mr Blackburn had a long history of poor health, including heart attacks and strokes, and had been in ‘extremely emaciated’ with a protruding rib cage and long fingernails.

He had lived in the house for 26 years but his health had deteriorated due to heavy drinking and smoking and he was largely confined to his bed after returning from a spell in hospital.

Distressing: Christopher Blackburn even lied to his 10-year-old daughter and told her her grandfather was asleep

His dead body was found last March after neighbours became concerned for his welfare, having not seen him since the previous October.



The neighbours contacted Eaves Brook Housing Association, and police then visited the house, where they found Mr Blackburn’s partially mummified body on a bed in the front room.

A post mortem examination revealed he had died of coronary artery atheroma, with no evidence his death could have been suspicious. A verdict of death by natural causes was recorded.

Judge Russell told Blackburn: 'You pretended he was still alive, misleading others - particularly your own daughter, a little girl.



'You have shown little remorse for your offending.

'A decent person would have immediately admitted to the police that this poor man had died months before but you tried to pretend he had been dead for only days.'

Det Insp Marc Nasser of Lancashire Police said: 'This is an unusual case and it is the first of its type that we have dealt with in Lancashire.



'It was a challenging crime and one that most members of the community will have found appalling and I am pleased that Blackburn has now been punished for what he did.'



One neighbour said: 'I had always got on with Guy, he was a nice bloke, but I had not seen him for ages. I kept asking his son if he was OK, and he would say "yes".



'We thought his son was looking after him, I was constantly saying "Is your dad alright?" and obviously he was not. It is not nice, it has upset me.'



Another neighbour said: 'Guy was a friendly chap who would do anything for anybody.



'“It has made me so upset, you do not leave an animal like that. When you think it is your dad, it is even worse. I would like to remember him before he got ill having a laugh and a joke, not dying the way he did.'