Landlord hid drinker's body in pub for 4 days so he wouldn’t miss weekend trade

A pub landlord hid the dead body of his drinking partner for four days so that he wouldn’t miss out on busy weekend trade. Jason Chidgey, 29, the landlord and licensee of The Boot Hotel, on Victoria Street, Aberdare, Wales, enlisted the help of his cleaner, Audra Rees, and tried to involve his doorman, Steven Prosser, in the scam to prevent Mark Steven Howells’ body from being discovered. But his scheme fell apart when, on the day of the deceased’s funeral, Ms Rees could stand it no more and confessed all to the police. Chidgey, of Parc Glas, Aberdare, admitted perverting the course of justice.

Owen Williams, prosecuting at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, said Chidgey and Mr Howells, 48, who died of acute alcohol poisoning, had been drinking at The Boot into the early hours of January 28 last year. Both fell asleep on the middle, unused, floor of the pub where Mr Howells worked from time to time. When Chidgey awoke that morning, Mr Howells was lying dead in the women’s toilets. But instead of reporting it immediately to the police, Chidgey manufactured the discovery to take place four days later on Tuesday, February 1. “He did so to trade over the busy weekend period,” said Mr Williams. Investigations revealed the power to the CCTV had been switched off between 6.18am and 8.49am on that Friday morning and during that time Chidgey made 100 calls to Mr Prosser, with just one connecting.



“He said that during the call the defendant had asked him to return to The Boot to help him, but he refused,” said Mr Williams. Chidgey then enlisted the help of Ms Rees, his landlady and cleaner, and persuaded her to make a false statement saying that police had been called because she had gone to the pub on February 1 whereupon she and Chidgey’s father, Brian Chidgey, had found Mr Howells dead in the toilets. “On that Tuesday she followed his instructions,” said Mr Williams. At one point, before bringing his cleaner into his scam, Chidgey told her to expect Mr Howells at the pub on Friday to do some painting and decorating work, all the while knowing that he lay dead upstairs. “From Friday to Monday the defendant carried out his business as if nothing untoward had occurred,” said Mr Williams.

“He deflected friends’ concerns by saying that he had spoken with Mr Howells recently and that he was okay.” On the day of Mr Howells’ funeral, February 13, Ms Rees went to the police and confessed after suffering nightmares. 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. “In his still inebriated state he panicked,” he said. “The stupid mistake was compounded when he spoke to police denying his knowledge of matters.” Judge Richard Twomlow jailed Chidgey for 15 months and told him he had had no respect for Mr Howells. “You said that Ms Rees was lying. You continued to lie. Your response to the probation officer is one that shows not a shred of real remorse,” he said. All you seem to have been concerned about is making things less serious for yourself.”