Patel is back in the US.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Jayant Patel, a physician formerly from Australia who was the subject of criminal litigation in that country some years ago, is suing his own former defense team for $884,000 USD, alleging that their inexperience is what caused his conviction and incarceration.
Patel, who now lives in the US, was a surgeon at the Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland when he was arrested and tried on allegations that he unlawfully killed or maimed at least three patients under his care: 77 year-old Gerry Kemps and 46 year-old James Phillips died while being treated by Patel, while 66 year-old Ian Rodney Vowles was caused grievous bodily harm by removing his colon and rectum when such a procedure was not needed.
During Patel’s time at the hospital, which lasted between 2003 and 2005, around 80 deaths were linked to him in some form or another, while 30 of those were linked directly to him as patients who died under his care. Patel subsequently left the hospital and Australia, coming to Portland, Oregon.When charges were levied against him, the US extradited him back to Australia for trial.
Patel went to trial in 2010. He was ultimately convicted on all three counts and sentenced to seven years in jail, more than two of which he served while filing appeals. Two appeals were heard and dismissed by the courts, but a Queensland Supreme Court ruling in 2012 ultimately overturned the conviction, allowing Patel to go free.
Raniga Lawyers was hired by Patel to defend him at trial, and barrister Michael Woodford was ultimately chosen to represent Patel at trial. Now, however, Patel says that the firm misrepresented the amount of experience Woodford had, saying that the lawyer was inexperienced at criminal trials and that his inadequacy ultimately cost him two years in jail, irreversible harm to his reputation, and other monetary and emotional damages.
Patel also attempted to sue Queensland itself for $2 million worth of damages for wrongfully convicting him, but Queensland attorney general Jarrod Bleijie told Australia’s Courier Mail that he will not award Patel any financial damages in the case, calling him “a convicted fraudster” and saying that Patel could write to him if he felt that such a decision was unfair in any way.