Indian-origin surgeon 'Dr Death' Jayant Patel has been sentenced to seven years in jail for the manslaughter of Mervyn Morris, Gerardus Kemps and James Phillips.
The Brisbane Supreme Court jury also found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Vowles.
All charges relate to Patel's tenure as director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital between 2003 and 2005.
Earlier in the day, l
awyers representing Patel appealed to the Supreme Court of Brisbane to show mercy to their client during sentencing on Thursday.The Brisbane Times quoted defence lawyers as asking Judge Byrne to allow Patel his freedom by wholly suspending his jail term, citing his 'virtual home detention' while on bail awaiting trial in Queensland.
At the killer doctor's sentencing hearing on Thursday morning, Patel's lawyers said the convicted surgeon had been a prisoner at home while on bail in Brisbane because if he ventured out, he was at risk of being abused by angry members of the public.
Due to the publicity surrounding his lethal stint at Bundaberg Base Hospital, barrister Michael Byrne QC said Patel had 'been the subject of personal abuse by people on the streets of Brisbane'.
'Doctor Jayant Patel has been found guilty of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm. As a result, he remained in the safety of his own home during the two years he had been on bail awaiting trial,' he said, adding, 'That is akin to home detention,' Byrne added.
'He had no friends, no family... in a foreign country isolated from friends and family, going on to the streets alone was a cause of concern for him,' he said.
