Prosecution evidence concludes in attempted murder trial of Southwell plastic surgeon Peter Brooks

Stabbed surgeon Graeme Perks’ evidence was due to be heard in a disciplinary hearing against his attempted murder-accused colleague, a court heard.

Now-retired Mr Perks was Dr Peter Brooks’ line manager, who from January 11, 2021, was subject to a disciplinary hearing which could have resulted in his dismissal from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH).

Mr Perks had provided a statement which was due to be read out as part of a “voluminous bundle of evidence”, some from “witnesses who were really struggling working with Dr Brooks”, the chairman of the panel, Dr Neil Pease, today (March 26) told the jury at court in Loughborough.

Dr Brooks, formerly of Landseer Road, Southwell, is accused of two counts of attempted murder — by stabbing and arson — relating to an incident at Mr Perk’s Halam Hill home on January 14, 2021, as well as charges of arson with intent to endanger life and possession of a bladed article.

He is not present at his trial and has chosen not to have legal representation.

Dr Pease, who as chief people officer at NUH, was the independent chairman of the internal disciplinary panel charged with “reviewing Dr Brooks employment”, was among the final witnesses called up by the prosecution, who today concluded their evidence in the case.

Dr Pease explained Dr Brooks, who had been working for the trust since 2008, was subject to an investigation in 2019, and made aware of the outcome and planned disciplinary hearing in 2020.

The chairman explained the defendant made “quite a few applications” to postpone the hearing, scheduled to begin on January 11, 2021 via video link due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and when it resumed on January 13, had connection issues and and “wasn’t very happy” with the proposed solutions.

Prior to the hearing, Dr Pease told the court he had tried to find a resolution to the issue of his employment, and that Dr Brooks had engaged with this.

“Dr Brooks came directly back to me… top of his list was that Mr Perks would have to leave the institution,” Dr Pease said.

“I think he worded it: ‘his long overdue retirement would have to be brought forward’.”

Further evidence from emergency service and medical personnel was also heard in the form of read statements.

Robert Kos, fire investigation dog handler, attended Dr Books’ Landseer Road home with his dog Dexter, who is trained to detect ignitable substances.

Dexter indicated a pannier on a mountain bike in the garage. Inside was a carrier bag and a five-litre screenwash container which appeared to contain petrol.

Queen’s Medical Centre-based emergency medicine consultant Dr Philip Dykes’ evidence was also called on to confirm if Mr Perks had suffered any injuries to his feet from the shattered glass at his home.

Dr Dykes’ determined this was “highly unlikely” as a map of Mr Perks’ injuries had been made when he was admitted to QMC, and there had been no record of injury to his feet, nor any request for a soft tissue x-ray as would be expected if a patient had suffered wounds from glass shards.

The court finally heard a statement made by PC Michael Weston, which confirmed that officers had attended Dr Brooks’ Landseer Road address at 12.03pm on January 14, following a call made by his wife reporting him missing.

In his description of the scene the PC also confirmed the presence of small amounts of blood in Dr Brooks’ utility room and garage at that time.

The trial continues.