stealing more than a half million dollars from a client.

The 64-year-old, one of Bermuda's top property lawyers, escaped a maximum five-year sentence mainly because of his age and heart condition.

The Hon. Mr. Justice Ground, the trial judge when Madeiros was found guilty last month, told him: "This is among the worst examples of this form of offence that is possible to imagine.

"You have in fact shown no remorse and have contested this matter to the last.'' No explanation had been given for the theft, he said, and there were no real factors to lessen the offence.

But he had taken into account Madeiros' previous good character, his age, his illness and the fact that his career had now ended.

Madeiros is a heavy smoker who recently had a heart attack and a stroke, and who wears a pacemaker.

His physician, Dr. Beresford Swan, told the court: "I suspect that he is way on the outside edge of survival''.

He had even run a check on Madeiros to make sure the climb to an upstairs courtroom would not kill him.

Questioned by prosecutor Ms Sharon Kenny, he denied his professional judgment had been altered by friendship with Madeiros. And he admitted he could work with the prison doctor to keep Madeiros under treatment.

Ms Kenny asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence, reminding him Madeiros spent the cash on trips, gambling and jewellery.

It was a sad day for the legal community when Madeiros was convicted, she said. Public confidence in lawyers had been hit.

She predicted Madeiros will be punished by the Bar Council, the lawyers' ruling body.

Mr. Richard Hector, for Madeiros, told the judge his client is now a broken man, with huge debts, no money and no real property.

A sentence should not be a matter of revenge, he said.

Madeiros' serious medical problems were likely to shorten his life, and it was possible he had seized pleasures while he could.

Prison may condemn him to an early death, Mr. Hector added.

The trial heard how Madeiros cheated alcoholic landowner Boyd Davis out of $506,000.

Madeiros claimed the cash was a gift from Davis in return for working on his Sleepy Hollow estate, Hamilton Parish.

Davis is now on social assistance and lives as a tenant on his former property.

Madeiros is now separated from the wife he took on luxury trips and showered with jewels.