A breast surgeon in the UK who intentionally wounded his patients has had his 15-year jail term increased to 20 years. BBC News reports that Ian Paterson, 59, who appeared at the Court of Appeal via video link, was told his current sentence was "not sufficient" to reflect the seriousness and the totality of his offending.
Paterson was found guilty in April at Nottingham Crown Court of 17 counts of wounding with intent. Jurors also convicted him of three further wounding charges. Paterson had carried out needless breast operations, leaving his patients scarred and disfigured.
The report says explaining the decision to increase his jail term, one of the three Appeal Court judges – Lady Justice Hallett – told Paterson his victims had been, "left feeling violated and vulnerable". She described his treatment of patients as "brutal and sustained". "They have lost their trust in others, particularly some in the medical profession," she said. "Some have experienced long-term psychological effects."
The report says that decision has been met with some satisfaction by Ian Paterson's victims. They were hoping for at least 20 years when he was sentenced to 15 years in Nottingham at the end of May. They felt that day, that whilst they were glad he had gone to prison, that he should have been sent to prison for longer.
The judges found the exercise difficult but they did think the original sentence had been unduly lenient. They said there had been a breach of trust and an abuse of power and took into account the vulnerability of the patients – some of whom were under his care for a decade or more.
Paterson was jailed in May following an eight-week trial trial.
[link url="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-40815668"]BBC News report[/link]