A coroner stole more than £185,000 from the estates of clients at his solicitors' practice, a Court was told.

Skipton Coroner Jeremy Cave, 53, denies 10 counts of theft from the beneficiaries of dead clients between 1990 and 2000.

Teesside Crown Court was told how Cave, who also ran a solicitor's practice in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was guilty of a breach of trust. Andrew Wheeler, prosecuting, said he deliberately "grossly overcharged" clients, asking for up to four times more than a reasonable fee.

A representative from the Law Society, which regulates the legal profession, visited Cave's practice in April 2000 after the organisation received complaints about bills. During this meeting the inspector "noticed Mr Cave's behaviour was unusual in that he appeared to be very nervous throughout the inspection," Mr Wheeler said.

An expert checked a random sample of files and discovered "gross and unexplainable overcharging", the prosecution alleged. The Law Society closed the practice, where Cave was sole practitioner, in July 2000, and a police investigation began. When his cases were passed on to another firm, more billing discrepancies were discovered, and work he had carried out was found to be improperly and inefficiently completed, Mr Wheeler said.

"What he charged was so grossly extended he knew perfectly well he was not entitled to that money. That is dishonest and amounts to theft."

Cave, of The Grange, Balk, Thirsk, had accrued a "substantial amount of debt", Mr Wheeler told the jury. Bank details for 2000 showed the solicitor had two business loans of £74,000 and £10,000.

His personal bank account was £21,000 overdrawn while he had a personal loan of £10,000, Mr Wheeler said. The mortgage on his home stood at £110,000, the jury heard. Mr Wheeler asked them to consider whether the amount of debt Cave had amassed was connected with him overcharging clients.

In a police interview Cave denied theft or dishonesty and told officers if his fees were too high it was because of overwork and incompetence due to the pressure he was under.

The trial continues.