A CLUB ENTERTAINER from Dundee has admitted embezzling £1000 from a charity set up to help terminally-ill twins Saul and Savannah-Rose Fraser.

Yesterday, Dundee Sheriff Court heard Thomas Harris, known as Tam in club circles, failed to hand over money collected at shows to the parents of the now-blind and bed-ridden four-year-olds.

Their mother Alana Fraser (34) said after the case, “We feel devastated that someone could do this to us.

“He was not only stealing from us but the Dundee public too.”

Harris (62), Finavon Place, yesterday admitted embezzling £1000 between October 30 and December 31, 2004, at the Enverdale Hotel, Pleasance Road, Coupar Angus; Club 83, St Salvador Street; the Hansom Cab, Camperdown Road; and The Nine Maidens, Laird Street, all Dundee, or elsewhere.

He was originally charged with theft but his guilty plea to an amended charge of embezzlement was accepted.

Depute fiscal Balgit Mooker said that between October and December, Harris was involved in entertaining and volunteered to promote the charity for Saul and Savannah-Rose Fraser, who have infantile Battens disease.

He collected £1000, and in February last year the founders of the charity approached Harris asking him where the money was.

Harris admitted spending £1000, saying he had “stupidly taken £1000 from the kids’ fund.”

He said he had only borrowed the money and had every intention of paying it back.

Solicitor George Donnelly said Harris was married with a family and had been well known in musical and cabaret circles for decades.

He had lived in New Zealand and Australia and even had a number-one hit in Australia.

He had been a club entertainer for over 40 years and it was his custom to put round a box for various charities.

Mr Donnelly said Harris had given some money to the fund.

The first amount was £900 in cheques and cash and he also handed over another £700.

There was a further amount of £970 he had collected, which Harris said he was going to make it up to around to £1000.

It was this amount with which the court was concerned.

Usually when Harris was playing he would be paid £1000 up front and would pay the band and various expenses with it.

However, on this occasion, there was a committee meeting before the show and Harris was told he was not to be paid £1000.

He took the money from the charity to pay the band members and intended to pay it back.

Mr Donnelly said the money was available to pay the family.

He said the episode had left “a sour taste” in Harris’s mouth.

Mr Donnelly said members of the Fraser family were attempting “to destroy his career by contacting various establishments where he played.”

The solicitor said the charities Harris collected for had also suffered and the accused had endured distress and intimidation.

Mr Donnelly said Harris had two previous convictions of considerable vintage.

He submitted it was a “classic embezzlement” with someone briefly using funds to which he was not entitled.

He said Harris panicked and gave his sincere apologies.

He had previously, “in the main,” been of good character.

Sheriff Andrew Berry called for reports and deferred the case to June 29.

He said the sum of £1000 should be made available on that date.

He also said he was of the view the matter could be dealt with without Harris going into custody but another sheriff would have that decision to make.

The twins’ mother explained yesterday that Battens leads to a deterioration of the brain and nervous system.

She said the twins need 24-hour care and are bed-ridden and blind.

They are hoping to take them to Florida for a family holiday soon.

The rare progressive condition is incurable but the twins are taking part in clinical trials in America to try to help to find a cure.

They are to travel to Washington in October in connection with the trials.

The Saul and Savannah-Rose Fraser Trust was set up in 2004 and has since received thousands of pounds through fund-raising events organised by family and friends.

The twins’ plight has touched the hearts of people across Tayside with events and donations involving groups and individuals from throughout Dundee and beyond.

The fund helps the family with travelling costs to take part in the trials, as well as treatment and to help fund research.

Infantile Battens occurs between the ages of six months and two years and is so rare it affects only one in 30,000 births.

The twins developed the disease as two copies of a defective gene were passed on to them from each parent.

Sadly, the life expectancy of sufferers is short, with death normally occurring in mid-childhood.

Although resigned to the fact that any future cure will come too late for the Fraser twins, parents Alana and Mark have always been prepared to undertake further trials if this one fails to produce the longed-for cure to the terrible disease.