Indian-origin surgeon to lodge appeal in Aus court

MELBOURNE: Indian-origin surgeon Jayant Patel is expected to lodge an appeal in the Australian High Court over his manslaughter convictions within days.

Lawyers of the 61-year-old Patel were quoted in Australian media as saying that they were in the process of drafting the appeal.

They would seek an extension of time because of the complexity of the case as the deadline for lodging the appeal had expired last week.

Solicitor Kerry Smith-Douglas said she and barrister Ken Fleming also needed extra time.

The appeal will likely focus on the argument that trial judge Justice John Byrne had incorrectly interpreted the legislation under which the crown ran its case.

Patel was sentenced last July after a Brisbane Supreme Court jury found him guilty of the manslaughter of three persons as well as guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to another.