By News Desk
Melbourne: After eight years and three trials which cost A$3.5m (£1.98m), Indian-origin US surgeon Jayant Patel on Friday (22 Nov, 2013) left for the US after walking free following a long legal battle in Australia on the charges of manslaughter and fraud. Authorities in Queensland paid his A$1,400 air fare beck to Oregon, US.
Patel, 63,escaped further jail time despite pleading guilty to four counts of fraud relating to his registration as a doctor in Queensland nearly 10 years ago, reports PTI.
His lawyer farewelled him before boarding the Qantas flight to Los Angeles.
The day before, the Australian court gave him two years wholly suspended jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to four fraud charges. All further charges against him were dropped last week, including manslaughter and grievous bodily harm involving his treatment of Bundaberg patients.
Charges of fraud related to dishonestly gaining registration and two counts related to dishonestly gaining employment in Queensland.
Giving out sentence at the hearing, Judge Terence Martin told Patel “you calculatedly deceived your way into that position” at Bundaberg hospital.