The former surgeon Jayant Patel, at the centre of a 2005 scandal in which he was accused of gross incompetence while working at Bundaberg Base Hospital in Queensland, Australia faces a delay in his appeal against his criminal convictions.
In June 2010, Patel was convicted of 3 counts of manslaughter and one case of grievous bodily harm, and sentenced to seven years in jail.
The appeal against his convictions was to be heard by the Court of Appeal in November. However in a new development Patel's legal team have now informed the court he does not have the money to go ahead.
The November hearing has been de-listed and the appeal will not be heard until the New Year – possibly February. Patel's lawyers will have to inform the court next month about the status of his funding issues.
Calls have been made for the sentence to be challenged by Queensland Attorney-General Cameron Dick, and a harsher penalty be imposed.
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