UK Plastic Surgeon Tries To Burn Down Rival Doctor's Home Before Stabbing Him In Vicious Attack

A 61-year-old plastic surgeon in the UK has been convicted of attempted murder for breaking into a colleague's home and stabbing him in the middle of the night. Jonathan Peter Brooks, a burns specialist, poured petrol over the floor before attacking Dr. Graeme Perks in January 2021. The motive behind the attack was Brooks' desperation to silence Mr Perks, who had testified against him in disciplinary hearings.

On the day of the incident, Brooks cycled to Dr. Perks' home in Nottinghamshire wearing full camouflage gear, armed with a crowbar, petrol cans, matches, and a knife. He broke in through the conservatory, spreading flammable liquid on the floor in an attempt to set the house ablaze. Thinking it was his son, Dr. Perks investigated the noise and was confronted by Brooks. The attack left Dr. Perks with knife wounds to his liver and pancreas, requiring three operations and a medically induced coma.  He was given a "95 per cent chance of dying", but he miraculously survived the ordeal.

Mr Perks, who was recently retired at the time, said, "Nothing was said, and the next thing I remember was feeling a blow to my body. I put my hands to the area where I felt it and it was warm and sticky, and I thought I felt something poking out from my abdomen and I decided that I must have been stabbed and that I needed to get back to the house."

Upon arriving at the scene, police found broken glass around the conservatory door and a strong smell of petrol. Meanwhile, Brooks was found sleeping on a nearby bench about four hours after the incident was reported. His wife had alerted authorities after discovering blood in their garage and reporting him missing. Brooks received treatment for hypothermia and injuries to his right hand before being taken into custody.

Prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC said, "His intention was, say the Crown, to break into Mr Perks's house, set fire to it and if necessary, stab Mr Perks. In short, he intended to kill Mr Perks by either or both those means."

He has now been convicted of attempted murder, attempted arson with intent to endanger life, and possession of a knife in a public place after a three-week trial. Although he was not present to hear the verdicts, he faces a potential life sentence for his crimes.