‘I hope he rots in hell’ Justice for hundreds as breast surgeon who scarred them for life convicted
AFORMER patient of disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson has said she hopes he ‘rots in hell’ after he was found guilty of multiple counts of wounding.
The doctor, 59, who worked at Solihull Hospital and the private Spire Hospitals in Little Aston and Solihull, sobbed in court as he was last week convicted of carrying out needless breast operations.
Now one solicitor involved in the case said the rogue surgeon could have “hundreds, if not thousands” of other victims.
Frances Perks, whose mother and sister died from breast cancer, was advised by Paterson to undergo a series of operations, fearing she could develop “full-blown cancer”.
She said: “I think he’s a psychopath. Why would anyone in their right mind do operations to people knowing that they didn’t need them?
“My feelings towards him is I hate him with a passion. You wouldn’t be able to print what I truly think of him and what I would like to see happen to him. But I hope he goes down for a very long time and I hope he has a dreadful time in prison and hope he rots in hell.”
Paterson was convicted at Nottingham Crown Court last Friday (April 27) after a sevenweek trial. He was found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding after carrying out unnecessary operations on patients.
Dozens of former patients gathered at the Greswolde Hotel in Knowle to hear the verdict, with many breaking down in tears as they heard the news.
The women said they were ‘shocked’, ‘relieved and delighted’ after the breast surgeon was convicted.
Linda Bartoszewicz said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m one of the lucky ones. I was one of the ones that had unnecessary surgery when he gave me a lumpectomy. We are absolutely delighted with the guilty verdict. I put my faith and trust in this man when I was vulnerable.
“I actually feel upset after the news came in. It took me back to 10 years ago to when I was a patient and I relived it all over again.”
The Scottish-born surgeon had maintained that all the operations were necessary.
But a jury of six men and five women agreed with the prosecution that Paterson carried out “extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason”.
Judge Jeremy Baker released Paterson on conditional bail ahead of sentencing this month, with the maximum sentence being life in prison.
Another former patient, Sarah-Jane Downing, said: “I was so worried for a while, because the trial has been a very long and arduous process, with the deliberations taking a long time.
“I was very worried that we wouldn’t get the correct result.
“We’ve all known all along that he’s guilty and we’ve got the scars to prove that.
“But we really needed everyone else to know that too.”
A Freedom of Information request revealed that 68 women who underwent a CSM – in which part of the breast was left for cosmetic reasons – by Paterson on the NHS had gone on to develop a recurrence of breast cancer.
Figures also revealed that the NHS has paid out nearly £18 million, of which £9.5 million was damages, after claims from nearly 800 patients of Paterson, a fact the jury were not made aware of during proceedings.
I think he’s a psychopath... I hate him with a passion Victim Frances Perks