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Ex-royal harpist drug rehab order | Ex-royal harpist drug rehab order |
(21 minutes later) | |
The Prince of Wales' former harpist has been given a community order and sent for drug rehabilitation for handling stolen goods and attempted fraud. | |
Jemima Phillips, 28, previously of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, but now of St Briavels, Gloucestershire, was hooked on heroin at the time of the offences. | Jemima Phillips, 28, previously of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, but now of St Briavels, Gloucestershire, was hooked on heroin at the time of the offences. |
The Royal College of Music graduate was cleared of burglary. | |
She was given a 12-month community order to include drug rehabilitation at Gloucester Crown Court. | |
Judge Michael Harington heard that Phillips had made a "complete transformation" after staying clean from drugs for four months. | |
She was told the community order would also feature a supervision element and a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement. | |
Her ex-boyfriend William Davies, 41, of Cheltenham, who had been found guilty of four burglaries, was jailed for four-and-a-half years. | |
He carried out the break-ins in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and some of the proceeds were found stored in Phillips' possession. | He carried out the break-ins in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, and some of the proceeds were found stored in Phillips' possession. |
She was convicted of handling stolen items taken by Davies. | She was convicted of handling stolen items taken by Davies. |
Phillips, a former semi-finalist in the BBC's Young Musician of the Year, had also pleaded guilty to using a stolen building society book to try to withdraw £500 from a branch of Nationwide in Monmouth. | |
She said she had agreed to the deception because Davies' friends threatened to expose her drug addiction in the media. | She said she had agreed to the deception because Davies' friends threatened to expose her drug addiction in the media. |
Crack cocaine | |
During the trial, the jury heard Phillips was struggling with drug dependence when the prince appointed her as his harpist in 2004. | |
She later played at his wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall. | She later played at his wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall. |
Phillips said during the trial that her life had been blighted by "disastrous" relationships, her last being with co-defendant Davies. | |
She told the jury she had two abortions, and started using crack cocaine shortly after the second termination, when she was 23 and living in London. | |
She met Davies in January this year on a street corner in Gloucester, when he gave her a bag of heroin. |