Southwell plastic surgeon Dr Peter Brooks found guilty of attempted murder of colleague Mr Graeme Perks by stabbing and arson at Halam home

A plastic surgeon has been found guilty of the attempted murder of his colleague.

Dr Peter Brooks, 61, formerly of Landseer Road, Southwell, has been on trial at Loughborough since March 10, accused of two counts of attempted murder — by stabbing and arson — against his Nottingham University Hospitals colleague, consultant Mr Graeme Perks.

He also faced charges of attempted arson with intent to endanger life, and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

The jury has today (April 7) returned verdicts for all of these charges — and found him guilty on all counts.

A majority verdict of ten to two was given for the attempted murder by stabbing, with all 12 jurors in agreement for the other three charges.

Brooks has not been in attendance throughout his trial, sacked his lawyers one day before it was due to start and instead elected to represent himself — but chose not to cooperate with the court to provide any evidence for the defence case.

It was the fifth time he had sacked one or more of his lawyers.

Brooks has maintained a hunger strike since February and claimed he would “rather die than be wrongly convicted”.

This initially made him unfit to participate in his trial — but a ruling made by judge The Honourable Mr Justice Pepperall explained this was considered his own deliberate action in an attempt to “gain some advantage” and that there was no reason to postpone the trial as he was voluntarily absent.

The ruling, made on Wednesday, April 2, stated: “[This case] has been listed for trial on no fewer than nine occasions. While earlier trials were adjourned for good reason, there was no reason why this case should not proceed in 2025.”

Brooks later became fit enough to attend, and was determined to have capacity, but continued to refuse to engage despite reasonable adjustments of a wheelchair, amended sitting hours, or even attendance over video link offered.

Medical evidence said the hunger strike was “in protest”, based on Brooks’ perception he would not get a fair trial. The ruling also noted that the former surgeon had, on eight occasions since his arrest in 2021, used hunger strikes or other threats of self-harm in an attempt to achieve some advantage.

Brooks appeared via video link for the first time during the trial on April 1. The prosecution evidence had already concluded, and the jury told there would be no defence evidence due to Brooks’ failure to attend on multiple previous occasions when invited to do so by Judge Pepperall.

On this occasion he asked for a four week adjournment to allow him to prepare his case, and said if this was granted he would begin eating and cooperate with his trial.

Neither was permitted, although Brooks was invited to accept a 48-hour adjournment and present his evidence at a nearer date, or at least make a closing speech. He claimed this was too short notice, and could not explain why he had not spent his last four years in custody preparing for his trial.

Judge Pepperall determined his “intention throughout has been to disrupt and manipulate rather than to participate in his trial” — and there was no evidence he was suffering from any mental illness.

Brooks’ charges related to an incident at Mr Perks’ Halam Hill home in the early hours of January 14, 2021.

There, with an intention to kill his former colleague and risk the lives of his family in the house, Brooks broke in during the early hours and doused much of the ground floor and staircase of the home in a flammable petrol mixture which he had brought via bicycle from his home.

He was also armed with matches and a lighter, to allow him to set alight the fuel.

When disturbed by Mr Perks, rather than pulling back from his “criminal enterprise”, he instead stabbed his former colleague in the abdomen, causing an injury which left Mr Perks with just a 5% chance of survival, having pierced multiple organs, his inferior vena cava, and caused significant blood loss.

He required three surgeries and a number of blood transfusions to recover from the injury.

Judge Pepperall said it was only due to the actions of Mr Perks’ wife and son, the paramedics, and the trauma centre surgical team, that it was not a murder trial.

Brooks’ presence at the scene was backed up by CCTV footage showing him leaving his home in full camouflage on his bicycle before the incident, and returning shortly afterwards.

DNA evidence on the shattered doors, and on the bloodied knife and crowbar found at the Halam home, as well as forensic examination of glass shards found on Brooks’ clothing which determined was ‘indistinguishable’ from samples taken from the doors.

The Southwell surgeon was described by the prosecution as having “hated” Mr Perks, who was his line manager and was had provided evidence in a disciplinary hearing at his work.

Brooks is to be sentenced at court in Loughborough on June 3, adjourned from today to allow for a psychiatric report to be created, for the Perks’ to consider their attendance and delivery of victim impact statements, and for Brooks to consider if he will be represented or provide mitigation.