A coroner was today found guilty of stealing almost £155,000 from the estates of dead clients at his solicitors' practice.
Jeremy Cave, 53, of The Grange, Balk, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, had denied 10 counts of theft from the beneficiaries of dead clients between 1990 and 2000.
After a trial which began on November 18 last year, a jury at Teesside Crown Court today convicted him of six of those counts and cleared him of one.
He was found guilty of overcharging six estates by a total of £154,918.
The jury of 11 men and a woman was due to resume deliberating on the three remaining counts tomorrow.
The court was told Cave ''grossly overcharged'' the estates of dead clients at his practice in the market town of Thirsk.
Cave, who was coroner for the Western Division of North Yorkshire until his suspension in August 2001, was granted bail. . . .
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