From £2million fraud to a drugs war, inside the lives of the dodgy in-laws that led to Gareth Bale postponing his dream wedding

IT should have been the best day of Gareth Bale’s life – walking his childhood sweet-heart down the aisle at an ancient Italian castle.

This summer the Real Madrid striker was finally due to marry fiancée Emma Rhys-Jones, surrounded by family, friends and stars at the glamorous bash under sunny skies.

With Gareth earning £650,000 a week, money was no object — pop superstar Beyonce was apparently lined up to perform. The wedding would have capped off a dream year for the player, who had already scored two goals in the Spanish side’s Champions League final victory in May.

Yet, as The Sun on Sunday revealed, the fairytale wedding now lies in tatters due to “family turmoil” in his wife-to-be’s deeply troubled clan. The big day was postponed after their lives became overshadowed by dramas involving DRUG FEUDS, a soft PORN STAR and a multi-million pound FRAUDSTER.

Central to the drama is Emma’s conman father, Martin Rhys-Jones, 54. Last year he was released from jail after four years — and Emma was keen to have him walk her down the aisle.

But she is now said to be upset that her dad, who has written a novel based on his dodgy past, plans to move in with a Russian florist half his age — and bring her as his plus-one. Emma has also been busy comforting sister Katie after her partner took his own life in November last year.

Overhanging the wedding plans as well were fears that violent drug-related feuds — involving more than one set of relatives — could reignite, dragging the couple and their three children into the crossfire.

Emma’s topless model cousin, Epiphany Dring, her parents Jane and Carl Dring, and other aunts and uncles had already been told they were not on the guest list for the bash at the turreted Tuscan pile Vincigliata Castle.

Emma’s father was arrested in 2013 over a “boiler room” con operating out of Barcelona where investors were sold worthless stock for big money. After being extradited to the US, he admitted money laundering in the £2.2million fraud.

He was jailed for six years last August, but having already served most of the sentence on remand in America and Spain, he was let out 16 months early in 2017 — having reportedly found religion.

He has since published a book called Phone Pirate, under pen name Vadim Viktorov, where he writes about ripping off doctors and lawyers. Emma begged him not to do it but the father of five went ahead. She has also been hurt by his decision to shack up with 29-year-old Alina Baranova.

Emma was said to be furious that he wanted to bring her to her big day. A family source told The Sun that she did not want “her dad turning up at her wedding with a woman none of the family has ever met”.

Rhys-Jones is believed to still be married to Emma’s mother Suzanne, even though they have not been together for more than a decade. Suzanne now uses her maiden name of McMurray — but her side of the family are just as troublesome.

Emma’s grandparents on her mother’s side, John and Eva McMurray, had their car firebombed after a suitcase said to contain more than £750,000 worth of cocaine, watches and cash went missing from their home.

Emma’s cousin Epiphany disappeared around the same time, reportedly fearing she might be targeted, though she has now resurfaced to Wales. The home of the bride-to-be’s aunt, Annabella Williams, 56, was also targeted, with two cars set alight.

The attacks saw the police place six family members in safe houses. In October 2016, Annabella’s son Peter Williams, a convicted burglar, admitted a revenge attack, pouring petrol through the letterbox of his cousin Epiphany’s mum’s house and sending her death threats. He was given a suspended jail sentence.

Last year Emma’s uncle Graham McMurray, 51, was placed into police protection after being accused of stealing £65,000 from a criminal gang. He pleaded guilty to stealing the case containing cocaine, watches and cash, which had been hidden up the chimney of his Cardiff home, and was given a suspended sentence.

McMurray’s lawyer claimed he had removed it from the home of Emma’s grandparents due to concerns about their safety. Understandably, Gareth and Emma have put considerable resources into keeping themselves and daughters Alba Violet, five, and Nava Valentina, two, and two-month-old son Axel out of harm’s way.

Last summer Gareth hired a team of former SAS soldiers to guard the family. He had already increased security following the firebomb attacks and after a gang threatened to release a photo of Alba next to a “cannabis” plant.

Insiders insisted it was not a cannabis plant and the move was a failed attempt to extort money from the wealthy family. Gareth had also hired top bodyguards for the wedding, which was to be followed by a party back home in Wales.

Gareth, 29, and Emma met at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff — well before he became the world’s most expensive footballer with a £90million transfer from Spurs to Real Madrid in 2013.

Unlike other wags, Emma, 26, a former hairdresser, has tried to stay out of the limelight, preferring shopping trips with her children to strutting down the red carpet. Last year she rushed back to Wales to be by her sister Katie’s side after Katie’s boyfriend, Alex Williams, 29, was discovered dead in a fume-filled car.

An inquest in February found that he had killed himself due to the stress of being investigated by social services over his children.

Alex and Katie, 24, were living in a caravan near Bridgend, South Wales, a far cry from the commune in Ibiza — which was run by an organisation called Children of the Sun — where they had made their home the previous summer. Emma has now reportedly helped her buy her a new £250,000 house.

Straight-laced teetotaller Gareth comes from a more stable background. His parents, Debbie and Frank, a retired school caretaker, turned down his offer to buy them a luxury home. Their heads would not have been turned by the glitz and glamour of the wedding near Florence.

Now they will have to wait to see when the on/off celebrations are back on again — it is believed they will be rescheduled for next summer.

A family source said: “It’s been a rollercoaster for them over the past couple of years, especially for Emma because it’s her flesh and blood. A lot can happen in a year and we all hope that everyone has kissed and made up by then.”

There had been rumours that Gareth would be heading back to the Premier League to play for Jose Mourinho at Manchester United. But it appears he is set to stay in Madrid.

If Emma’s relatives can become as settled as Gareth, those wedding bells may finally ring.

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