SHAMED coroner Jeremy Cave was seriously ill in hospital under guard last night after suffering a heart attack - days after he was jailed for swindling £155,000 from the estates of dead clients.

The solicitor - who will also face a Law Society disciplinary hearing next month - was jailed for three-and-a-half years last week after a jury convicted him of stealing cash from clients' estates over a period of ten years.

The 53-year-old was rushed to the University Hospital of North Tees on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack in his cell, at Holme House Prison, Teesside.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said last night that he was in a stable condition.

Friends said they believed the attack was brought on by the stress of the lengthy trial and the shock of being sent to prison.

Cave, a father-of-two, had also been suffering from sight problems during his nine-week trial, which were believed to be brought on by stress.

Only hours after Cave, of Front Street, Sowerby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was convicted on Friday, the Law Society announced it was planning to take civil action against him after it was forced to repay cash to the plundered estates.

He will face disciplinary proceedings by the society in London on March 27. A spokesman said earlier this week: "Any result other than striking off will be unacceptable to us."

Cave's solicitor, Peter Boddy, who runs a practice in Darlington, said he had been due to meet Cave to discuss the possibility of appeal proceedings.

But he said: "I have not been instructed to appeal yet, but I was going to discuss the possibility of appeal with him."