Plastic surgeon jailed for life for trying to kill colleague

A plastic surgeon has been jailed for life for attempting to murder a colleague he wanted "out of the way" because he was a witness against him in disciplinary proceedings.

Jonathan Peter Brooks broke into Graeme Perks's home in Halam, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of 14 January 2021, wearing camouflage gear and armed with a crowbar, cans of petrol, matches and a knife.

A trial in Loughborough heard Mr Perks had a "95% chance of dying" after being stabbed by Brooks.

Brooks, who was "voluntarily absent" from his trial because he was on hunger strike, was convicted of attempted murder in April and on Monday, was told he would serve at least 22 years in prison.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Edward Pepperall said Brooks's life had been "falling apart" in January 2021 - with the surgeon anticipating losing his job and house following the disciplinary action at work.

Addressing Brooks, who specialised in burns and plastics, he said: "You were fixated on your employment difficulties. Whatever the rights and wrongs of those difficulties, you blamed Graeme Perks."

He said Brooks's "simmering sense of grievance" towards Mr Perks developed and he subsequently went out prepared for a "murderous expedition".

Brooks smashed conservatory doors and doused the ground floor of the house with petrol, intending to set it on fire.

Mr Perks, a consultant plastic surgeon who had recently retired, was woken by the break-in and initially mistook the defendant for his son, before Brooks stabbed him in the abdomen.

The trial previously heard Mr Perks's injuries were "of the most serious type", and included a bleeding liver, injuries to the pancreas and bowel, and an "extremely life-threatening injury" to the back of the abdomen.

Mr Perks only survived because of "quick action and amazing surgical skill", the court had heard.

It has taken years for Brooks to be brought to justice, after his case was littered with delays due to the 61-year-old repeatedly refusing to engage with proceedings, as well as trying to manipulate the court system.

On at least eight occasions, Brooks failed to turn up to hearings without explanation, and a new trial was listed nine times before it finally began in March.

Brooks sacked his legal representatives on multiple occasions before electing to represent himself, but he failed to turn up before the jury during the trial, in what the judge described as "highly unusual" circumstances.

Judge Pepperall previously told the court that Brooks had "used hunger strikes or the threat of some other self-harm to achieve some advantage".

Sam Shallow, deputy chief crown prosecutor in the East Midlands for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said Brooks did whatever he could to prevent court proceedings, and praised the Perks family for their bravery.

"I certainly haven't dealt with a case personally where a defendant has used so many devices in order to try to prevent a case coming to a conclusion," she said.

"I've never heard of a case where the delays have just been because of things that the defendant has done."

Brooks, formerly of Landseer Road in Southwell, appeared via video-link from HMP Norwich after refusing to attend the court in person, having claimed he had a bedsore that meant he would be unable to sit for long periods.

The judge said he was informed Brooks was physically fit to attend, and there was no reason he could not.

Throughout the hearing, Brooks moved around in his room, occasionally standing from his wheelchair.

He was sitting looking towards the camera as his sentence was handed down.

With time already spent in custody, Brooks will serve 17 years and 223 days in prison.