Landlord jailed after hiding dead body in pub
The landlord of a pub in Wales hid the dead body of a man who had died of alcohol poisoning for four days because he feared that a police investigation would damage his weekend trade.
Jason Chidgey, 29, the licensee of the Boot hotel on Victoria Street in Aberdare enlisted the help of his cleaner to help move Mark Steven Howells's body, according to walesonline.co.uk.
Chidgey had found Howells dead on 28 January last year after the pair had spent the night drinking heavily. But instead of reporting the incident, Chidgey concealed the news until four days later, on Tuesday 1 February 2011 so that he could trade over the weekend, Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard.
But his scheme was revealed when the cleaner decided she could no longer stand it and confessed to police on the day of Howells's funeral.
Alexander Greenwood, defending Chidgey, said he had been drinking heavily because of the break up of his 10-year relationship and issues with his licence.
The publican was jailed for 15 months.
By Neil Gerrard
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