Exiled Georgian had heart disease

A coroner was told the condition of the 52-year-old, who feared assassination, was such that he could have died "at any time".

Mr Patarkatsishvili collapsed at his country mansion near Leatherhead, Surrey, on Tuesday night and his family reported that he had suffered a heart attack.

The inquest into his death was opened and adjourned to a later date by Surrey coroner Michael Burgess during a brief hearing at Woking Coroner's Court.

Coroner's officer Camille Juliff told the hearing that Mr Patarkatsishvili was at home with his family when he complained of chest pains and feeling unwell. He went upstairs to rest and was found collapsed a short while later.

The court heard pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl carried out a post mortem examination on his body the following day. In his report he stated he found "significant natural disease", identified as coronary heart disease.

He said: "This was of a severity that could have resulted in a sudden and unexplained collapse and death at any time."

He concluded that the chest pains and collapse were consistent with death due to coronary heart disease. The court also heard that tests indicated no evidence of any radioactive or nuclear presence in his body. Mr Burgess adjourned the inquest until the conclusion of extensive toxicology tests, which are expected to take weeks to complete.

Mr Patarkatsishvili's death sparked a major police investigation, with detectives initially treating it as "suspicious" after they were called to the mansion late on Tuesday.

Mr Patarkatsishvili - Georgia's richest man, with an estimated £6 billion fortune - spoke recently of his fears for his life after an alleged plot to murder him in London was uncovered. One reported assassination plan bore similarities to the killing of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006.