The founders of a Newport-based music charity have been cleared of all charges over conspiracy to defraud their organisation, but were forced to close months ago because the charges made it “impossible” for them to continue.

The charity’s chief executive Clayton Richards, 38, from Cwmbran, had been charged alongside fellow co-founder and trustee Daniel O’Connell, 38, from Newport. An application to have the charges against them dropped was accepted at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday afternoon.

Two other individuals connected to the charity - Nikki O’Connell, 35 and Gareth Williams, 33, both from Bridgend - were also been charged for conspiracy to defraud, but the charges against them were dropped last November.

O’Connell told Civil Society News that he is pleased that the charges have now been cleared, adding that the prosecution has been “blasted for wasting millions of public money on a hopeless case”.

He said that the charity “had to fold due to the pressure that was put on them from the case”.

He said that the Life Music Foundation, which had aimed to develop the music skills of primarily young disadvantaged people who have no means to pay themselves, had been helping 400 to 500 children, with plans to increase this and open more centres across the country. However, following the arrest of four people connected to the charity in June 2013, it felt it could no longer go on.

O’Donnell said that at one point he was financing the charity himself but the pressure and costs were too great.

He also said that the charity was denied grant funding by the Big Lottery Fund after completing several stages of the application process. He said he believes that the involvement of the police was the cause of this, adding that the police had contacted hundreds of people as part of its investigations.

O’Donnell said that he plans to write to BIG to find out whether they were contacted by the police. He said would not rule out starting another charity, but wants to wait and see “after the dust has settled”.

According to reports of the court proceedings in the South Wales Argus, the founders were told they could leave court "without a stain upon your characters".

The charity was removed from the Charity Commission’s Register of Charities in January of this year.

O’Donnell criticised the Commission, stating: “The Charity Commission offered no support, guidance or help, not even a phone call.”

A Charity Commission spokeswoman said: “The Commission was aware of the police investigation and subsequent court case. We were not able to contact the charity during this time.

"The charity has since come off the Register. It is not within our role as regulator to provide support to individual trustees. Had the trustees contacted us to ask for help, we would have explained our position and advised them to take their own professional advice.”