Video After The Jump
The surgeon once dubbed 'Dr Death' has been found guilty of killing three patients and permanently injuring another.
After about 50 hours of deliberation, the Brisbane Supreme Court jury in the manslaughter trial of Jayant Patel announced it had finally reached a verdict about 5.40pm (AEST) on Tuesday.
Patel arrived back in court flanked by his lawyers and his wife Kishoree, who has been present for the duration of his 15-week trial.
Stony-faced, he stood in the dock as the jury announced he was guilty of the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, Gerardus Kemps and James Phillips.
The jury also found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Vowles.
The charges all relate to Patel's time as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.
Justice John Byrne agreed to a request by crown prosecutor Ross Martin SC to delay sentencing Patel until Thursday morning.
Justice Byrne, however, refused to allow the former doctor to remain on bail until then.
Mrs Patel left the courtroom in tears as her husband - who became known in Queensland as 'Dr Death' after he fled to the US in 2005 - was led from the dock to the cells, and she declined to speak to waiting media outside the court.
During the trial the court was told Patel caused the deaths or injuries by performing the wrong operations on the wrong patients, in a hospital that could not support this sort of major surgery.
Prosecutor Ross Martin said there was evidence Patel was a man driven by 'toxic ego', who performed surgeries that were beyond his level of skill.
The court heard Patel caused Mr Morris's death in June 2003 because he failed to properly investigate the cause of his rectal bleeding, and unnecessarily removed part of his colon.
Mr Phillips, 46, was so unwell that he was an unsuitable candidate for an oesophagectomy performed by Patel in May 2003, and the hospital's intensive care unit was ill-equipped to manage his post-operative care.
Mr Kemps died because Patel rushed an oesophagectomy without proper planning, and then allowed him to bleed to death.
The court was told Patel then failed to diagnose Mr Kemps' internal bleeding, and delayed taking him back into theatre.
He then stitched the patient back up while he was still bleeding profusely.
The jury was told Patel caused Ian Vowles grievous bodily harm in October 2004 by unnecessarily removing a large section of his bowel, despite polyps showing no signs of cancer.
The court was told Patel came to Bundaberg knowing that he had been disciplined for 'gross negligence' in the US in 2000.
Under the US order, he was required to seek a second opinion when performing major operations like oesophagectomies.
While this order did not affect his legal ability to undertake such procedures in Australia, Patel failed to disclose this information to his colleagues, employers or patients.
Before retiring to deliberate, the jury was told they could consider whether knowledge of previous disciplinary action for gross negligence would have affected the patients' decision to give their consent, or whether it would have given Patel cause to reflect on his own abilities in offering the surgery to them.
Outside the court Mr Kemps' wife, Judy, said she was incredibly relieved to see Patel finally brought to justice.
'It's been a long five years but it's all over,' she said.
'It's just all confusing, but I'm just so happy ... I'm free, I'm free.
'It's closure alright.'
Patient advocate Beryl Crosby said it was a huge relief.
'I hope with all my heart that these people and their families can move on,' she said.
She said it didn't matter to her if Patel got off later on a technicality in the Court of Appeal.
'For a lot of people this is going to be closure.
'The verdict was guilty, it doesn't matter what happens from here.
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