investigations Smith was arrested in October 1973 on corruption charges. At his trial, it was claimed that he had received £156,000 over seven years, usually in the form of payment to his public relations company. He pleaded guilty in 1974 and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment; despite his plea he continued to assert his innocence. After prison While in prison, Smith became involved in amateur dramatics, where he met and encouraged Leslie Grantham to pursue his career as a professional. Following his release, Grantham was to later star in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. On release from Leyhill Open Prison in 1977 Smith attempted to rebuild a political career, but was initially refused re-admission to the Labour Party. He worked for the Howard League for Penal Reform and campaigned for the rights of released prisoners, and occasionally commented on municipal housing issues. In 1987, he was readmitted into the Labour Party. By 1990 he was a member of the executive committee of the Newcastle Tenants Association, and living on the 14th floor of Mill House, a tower block in the Spital Tongues area of the City. Smith died of a suspected heart attack on 27 July 1993, in the Freeman Hospital, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. He had undergone surgery after collapsing at home. Personal life Smith was married to Ada (1919–2018) from 1939 until his death. He was the father of three children, a son, Cliff, and two daughters. Legacy Smith was remembered for the personality and charisma he showed during his political career. He has been praised for championing North East England at a time when the region was in decline. Among his well-regarded achievements are slum clearance, helping establish an independent Newcastle University and modernising the local administration. Conversely, few defend his ethical conduct in the corruption case, although biographer Chris Foote Wood argues that Smith was treated unfairly and that the scandal was mainly the fault of Poulson. Jeremy Beecham, a later leader of Newcastle City Council, argued that the corruption scandal had overshadowed the positive aspects of Smith's legacy. He praised Smith's charisma, vision, role in creating Eldon Square Shopping Centre and reforms to the local government, though he believed Smith made mistakes with his conduct and the demolition of certain historic buildings. The loss of John Dobson's Royal Arcade in 1963-64 and Old Eldon Square became particularly symbolic, although the Smith council had planned