Plastic Surgeon Permanently Removed from Medical Register After Violent Attack
A consultant plastic surgeon who attempted to murder a colleague by stabbing him and dousing his home with petrol has been officially struck off the medical register. Peter Brooks, also known as Jonathan, was convicted last year and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years for the horrific assault on fellow surgeon Graeme Perks.
Details of the Premeditated Attack
In the early hours of January 14, 2021, during a Covid lockdown, Brooks cycled through snowy conditions to Mr Perks' home in Halam, near Southwell, Nottinghamshire. He wore camouflage gear and armed himself with a crowbar, petrol, matches, and a knife. Brooks smashed through the conservatory and stabbed Mr Perks, who was 65 years old at the time and had retired just the month before.
The victim suffered extremely life-threatening injuries to his liver, intestines, and pancreas, with doctors giving him only a 5% chance of survival. Brooks then poured petrol on the ground floor of the house in an attempt to set it on fire, though this plan was thwarted.
Legal Proceedings and Tribunal Decision
Brooks was convicted in April last year at Leicester Crown Court, sitting in Loughborough, on two counts of attempted murder, attempted arson with intent to endanger life, and possession of a knife in a public place. He was voluntarily absent from his month-long trial, having sacked his lawyers and gone on hunger strike, stating he would 'rather be dead than incarcerated'.
On Tuesday, March 17, a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel concluded that Brooks' behavior was fundamentally incompatible with continued registration as a doctor. The tribunal determined that the level of risk he poses to public protection is so significant that he should not be allowed to practise.
Background and Motive
Brooks, who qualified as a doctor in 1988 and worked at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, specialized in burns and plastics. At trial, prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told the jury it was clear that Brooks hated Graeme Perks and wanted him 'out of the way'. Sentencing judge Mr Justice Pepperall said Brooks was 'fixated' on employment difficulties he was facing and blamed Mr Perks for his troubles.
Mr Perks provided evidence in the disciplinary proceedings against Brooks. The tribunal report stated that a reasonable and informed member of the public would be shocked if any sanction lower than erasure was imposed in this case, leading to the permanent removal of Brooks from the medical register.
