EBBW Vale man Julian Emms faces jail after being found guilty of defrauding £16,500 from a fund set up to help his son fight a degenerative disease.

It took a jury at Cardiff Crown Court just half an hour yesterday morning to find Emms, 46, of Southbank, Beaufort, guilty of fraud by abuse of position in August, 2010.

The deception meant there was no money to pay for the funeral of Emms’ son Michael when he lost his battle against motor neurone disease last year, forcing family members having to take a loan to pay for it.

Following the case, the officer in charge, DC Richard Cowan, branded Emms a liar who had put the family through “one and a half years of torment”.

During the three-day trial, jury members heard the Michael Emms Fund was set up in 2007 to pay for the 20-year-old motor neurone disease sufferer to be treated.

Family and friends from across Gwent raised cash for Michael, from Caerwent, to undergo pioneering stem cell treatment in China with stem cells donated by his baby half-brother Rhys.

But, despite having the procedure in December 2007, Michael died on April 11, 2011, aged 23.

Emms claimed he had taken £16,500 out of the fund in August 2010 to stop Michael’s grandparents Ann and David Brandon giving it to the Motor Neurone Disease Society.

He said: “I was OK with that, but not while Michael was still alive.”

However, the money was never traced and prosecutor Meirion Davies called Emms “a liar and a dishonest man”

who took the money for himself.

Recorder Robert Britton said Emms will be handed a custodial sentence, but will decide the length at sentencing on March 16. Emms was released on bail until then.

Gwent Police’s DC Cowan called it a “good result for the family”, adding: “He put them through a year and a half of torment.

“Michael’s death added to that, but hopefully they can get some closure now.”

DC Cowan said the situation was made worse for the family – Emms divorced Michael’s mother Teresa in 2006 – because his deception meant there was no money to pay for a funeral. A loan had to be taken out to pay for this.

The officer added: “He lied throughout the case and the family will be very happy with the verdict.”

Emms’ string of past convictions

AFTER the jury returned its verdict, prosecutor Meirion Davies read out a list of Emms’ past convictions, which include four for assault occasioning bodily harm and a variety of other offences such as criminal damage, affray and theft.

Senior crown prosecutor David Watts called it “an especially sensitive case, saying: “I’m sure that many who gave to the fund will feel let down and angry to learn what happened to the money they contributed in good faith.”