Egomaniac acted ‘like God’ as he lied about cancer

DRIVEN either by his inflated ego, simple greed, or both, Ian Paterson caused unimaginable anxiety to his victims.

With a stellar CV and an excellent bedside manner, he would routinely be sought out by concerned women across the Midlands.

But the man described as “like God” lied to them, exaggerating or inventing the risk of cancer to convince them to go under his knife.

Prosecutors still do not know what drove him to cause so much anxiety to so many, describing his motives as “obscure”.

But his crimes certainly enriched both his bank account and his reputation.

He owned a luxury home in George Road, in Edgbaston, several properties in Cardiff and Manchester – and a holiday home in America. His trial heard from victims who had scraped together money from savings, friends and family to foot the bills for procedures they did not need.

As the trial delved into intricate medical details, Paterson was allowed to sit outside the dock, flanked by his daughter Emily rather than court security staff.

He was seen taking notes on an iPad, nodding along to witnesses and even laughing at a joke about his handwriting as his career was put under forensic examination.

Jurors were told at the start that Paterson was a busy surgeon who “instilled complete confidence in his patients”.