DISGRACED breast surgeon Ian Paterson has appealed to have his conviction overturned.
It comes the same week he could face fresh prosecution after 70 more victims came forward.
The 62-year-old is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence after being convicted in 2017 of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding against ten patients.
The consultant breast surgeon, whose victims run into the hundreds, worked at hospitals run by the Heart of England NHS Trust (HEFT) and also practiced privately at Bupa hospitals in Solihull and Sutton Coldfield, latterly run by Spire Healthcare.
The appeal bid comes despite a recall of 11,000 of the surgeon’s former Spire Healthcare patients this year and a new £22million fund being set up to compensate patients and support their care.
Victims say Paterson’s appeal is an attack on their mental health.
Sarah Jane Downing, the founder of the support group for Paterson’s private patients, said: “Paterson is using his legal team and the court to articulate power over us to try to remind us that no matter how far we have come we are all still his victims.
“It seems very much like a bullying tactic to try to intimidate those who have been recently recalled to stop them from coming forward.
“Although it is far from easy to stand up and say what has been done to you, it is taking a position of strength because standing together we are stronger.”
Linda Millband, head of clinical negligence at Thompsons Solicitors who represented patients in the original case against Paterson, said: “Our hope is that the court throws out this callous attempt to evade justice and that Paterson serves his sentence in full.”
Kashmir Uppal, of Shoosmiths LLP – who has represented Paterson’s clients in seeking justice – said: “Any application for leave to appeal a conviction has to be supported by new evidence that was not available at the time of the trial, and I, together with all his victims, would like to see the evidence that he relies upon more than four years after his conviction.”
