Scottish man admits to hiding dead brother’s body to claim welfare checks

A Scottish man who admitted to hiding his dead brother's body for more than three years so he could collect his welfare benefits has been ordered to undergo 240 hours of community service.

Alistair Brown, 61, failed to notify authorities about his 69-year-old brother John's death in August 2007, a court heard, according to the BBC.

Brown, the official carer to his brother, continued to withdraw John Brown's benefits until January 2011 — a total of 38,237 pounds (about $60,000).

Firefighters found John Brown's remains under a sofa in an apartment the men shared in Denny, central Scotland, in December 2010, while they were working on a burst water pipe during a cold snap, The Scotsman reported.

According to the Herald Scotland, Brown pled guilty to failing to declare his brother's death so he could withdraw the benefits from his bank account.

According to a Daily Mail report, fire crews saw a human foot sticking out from the bottom of the bed and police were immediately called," the Mail reported.

While originally treated as suspicious, authorities later accepted the death came from natural causes.