Harpist guilty of handling goods

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Jemima Philips played for presidents, prime ministers and royalty

A jury has cleared Prince Charles's former royal harpist of burglary while she was hooked on heroin but has found her guilty of handling stolen goods.

Jemima Phillips, 28, previously of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, but now of St Briavels, Gloucestershire, had denied being present at three house raids.

She had admitted one count of attempted fraud at Gloucester Crown Court.

Her ex-boyfriend William Davies, 41, of Cheltenham, was found guilty of four burglaries.

During the trial the jury heard Phillips was already in the grip of drugs when the prince appointed her as his harpist in 2004. She later played at his wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall.

Phillips, who is a Royal College of Music graduate and a former semi-finalist in the BBC's Young Musician of the Year, had denied helping her former boyfriend with the raids.

She said she only tried to use a stolen building society card when Davies's associates threatened to tell the press about her addiction.

Jemima Phillips claimed to know nothing of the break-ins

Judge Michael Harington granted Phillips bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

But he warned: "All sentencing options are open to me on the next occasion - that is to be understood."

He told Davies a prison sentence was inevitable.

Phillips took over from Catrin Finch as Prince Charles's official harpist at the age of 22 in 2004.

But she told the jury even then she was abusing drugs.

The post was created to encourage talented young Welsh harpists.

Speaking at the start of her appointment she said she hoped to use the role to raise her profile and planned to record a CD.

She had been playing the harp since the age of eight and was doing an intensive masters course at the Royal College of Music in London.

Phillips held the post until 2007, playing at the wedding of the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly.

Leaving court she said she would not comment on the case until after she was sentenced on 22 December.

But in her evidence during the trial she confessed she was hooked on heroin while she held her royal appointment.

Jemima Phillips, pictured while she was royal harpist, in 2005

She told the jury that her younger brother died at an early age and she was bullied at school.

Phillips said 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.

They met regularly and she bought Valium from him, to help her fight her habit, and in March they became a couple, she claimed.

She said: "He was romantic and charming. He had a wonderful side to him. But, like Jekyll and Hyde, due to previous girlfriends cheating on him he could get quite jealous."

It was alleged that both burgled four homes between 22 May and 28 May.

But Phillips was only convicted of handling and the attempted fraud.