Gareth Bale’s fiancée ‘delighted’ as uncle avoids prison after stealing more than £65,000 from crime gang
The footie ace's wife-to-be Emma Rhys-Jones, 25, is said to be 'very close' to uncle Grayam McMurray, 50, who was handed a suspended jail sentence
AN uncle of Gareth Bale’s fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones has avoided prison after stealing more than £65,000 from a criminal gang.
Grayam McMurray, 50, admitted theft after becoming involved in an underworld feud in which £750,000 in cash, watches and cocaine allegedly went missing.
McMurray, formerly of Pontypridd, South Wales, was jailed for 32 weeks, suspended for one year, after the stolen cash was found in margarine tubs, which he had stuffed up his chimney.
Dressed in a black suit, McMurray appeared at Cardiff Crown Court today after admitting to the crime and was driven away after proceedings under police protection.
His niece Emma Rhys-Jones, 25, was said to be “delighted” that her uncle walked free.
A family member said after the case: “Emma’s been worried sick about her uncle Grayam, they are very close.
“She wanted to know what happened to him in court - she’s delighted he didn’t go to jail, now she wants the whole thing over with.”
Three of Emma’s family were targeted by arson attacks after the £750,000 went missing, with footie ace Bale, 27, receiving an armed guard outside a hotel in Spain after details of the vendetta were revealed.
The drugs gang even went so far as attempting blackmail by using a photograph of Bale’s four-year-old daughter Alba with fake cannabis plants.
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Prosecutor Helen Randall said of McMurray’s crime: "The cash was discovered at his home as part of a wider investigation into criminal activity in the Cardiff area, and he was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
"The search recovered cash totalling £65,090."
In an interview, McMurray told police the money had been stashed at his parents’ home by “others” and that he had taken it to his own home to keep them from harm.
Miss Randall said: "He told police he was too scared to do anything with the money. He said it was likely the money came from criminal behaviour."
Jenny Yeo, defending, said McMurray had only moved the cash from his parents’ home out of concern for their safety.
She said: "He was not motivated by greed and didn't have a real interest in the money.
"He removed it from his parents’ house because if his concern for them.
"He cared for his parents at that time and still does so.
"He made no attempt to keep the money or spend it. He was very concerned about the situation."
Judge Eleri Rees said: "This was an extremely foolhardy offence to commit.
"It's a very significant amount of money.