1 Jul 2010

Surgeon gets seven years for patients' deaths

9:28 pm on 1 July 2010

A Queensland surgeon dubbed Dr Death has been sentenced to seven years for the deaths of three patients in botched surgery.

A Brisbane Supreme Court jury on Tuesday convicted Jayant Patel of manslaughter.

The charges all related to Patel's time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.

Sentencing on Thursday, Justice Byrne criticised Patel's decision to go ahead with the operations when he had previously been disciplined for gross negligence in the United States.

He sentenced Patel to seven years jail on each of the manslaughter charges and three years for grievous bodily harm to a fourth patient, to be served concurrently.

Patel will be eligible for parole after serving three and a half years.