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

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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 last March, after neighbours raised concerns.

Blackburn, 29, had been living at the house alongside the body but kept quiet about his father's death from natural causes as he pocketed nearly £2,000.

Blackburn, 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.

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