Sydney:
Indian-origin doctor Jayant Patel has been sentenced to seven years of jail term by Australian court on charges of manslaughter. Known as Dr Death, Patel was accused of botching a string of operations while he was the chief surgeon at an Australian hospital and was found guilty of killing three of his patients and grievously harming another.
Jayant Patel, 60, was in police custody until the sentencing concluded.
Patel, had pleaded innocent to three counts of manslaughter and one count of causing grievous bodily harm to four patients he treated while working as director of surgery between 2003 and 2005 at a state-run hospital in Queensland state.
The trial took more than 25 years after questions were first raised about Patel's competency, and marks a milestone for many former patients who have waited years to face the man they accuse of irreparably damaging their lives.
The trial heard that Patel had been banned by US authorities from carrying out some of the procedures he undertook when he later moved to Australia. He had failed to inform his new employers about the restrictions.
At the trial, prosecutor Ross Martin described Patel as a "bad surgeon motivated by ego" who tried to restore his reputation by carrying out surgery he was not competent to perform.
Patel did not speak at the trial, but his defense lawyer said he was a hardworking doctor devoted to his patients, and that all of the patients named in the case had consented to the surgeries and knew the risks.
Jayant Patel, 60, was in police custody until the sentencing concluded.
Patel, had pleaded innocent to three counts of manslaughter and one count of causing grievous bodily harm to four patients he treated while working as director of surgery between 2003 and 2005 at a state-run hospital in Queensland state.
The trial took more than 25 years after questions were first raised about Patel's competency, and marks a milestone for many former patients who have waited years to face the man they accuse of irreparably damaging their lives.
The trial heard that Patel had been banned by US authorities from carrying out some of the procedures he undertook when he later moved to Australia. He had failed to inform his new employers about the restrictions.
At the trial, prosecutor Ross Martin described Patel as a "bad surgeon motivated by ego" who tried to restore his reputation by carrying out surgery he was not competent to perform.
Patel did not speak at the trial, but his defense lawyer said he was a hardworking doctor devoted to his patients, and that all of the patients named in the case had consented to the surgeries and knew the risks.
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