The former coroner for Carmarthenshire has admitted stealing more than £1million from a deceased farmer's estate to keep his law firm afloat.

Solicitor John Owen, aged 79, stole the money from John Williams after being made executor of his will.

He admitted 17 charges of theft and false accounting at Newport Crown Court on Tuesday.

Judge Tom Crowther QC said Owen breached trust "of the grossest sort" and said a prison sentence was likely.

The court was told no-one knows where the money has gone after it vanished from his firm in Llandeilo.

Janet McDonald, prosecuting, said: "The deceased was a long-standing client of Mr Owen and he made him the executor of his estate.

"Owen would bill for work, charging it to the estate. He would then take the money without doing any work."The money was then taken out of the law firm's account."

Owen, from Llandeilo, was arrested in 2011 in relation to the offences, which date back to 2003, following an investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

The Authority carried out its inquiry after it said there was "reason to suspect dishonesty".

Owen also quit as the position of coroner, which he had held for 25 years.

Leah Pollard, defending, said: "Owen is a man of previous good character. He is currently receiving treatment for prostate cancer."

Releasing Owen on bail until sentence on 17 October, Judge Crowther said: "This was very serious, in breach of trust of the grossest sort. It seems to me that a custodial sentence is likely in this case."