Unscrupulous and greedy, breast Surgeon Ian Paterson was accused of “playing God” as he convinced terrified women they needed drastic surgery on their breasts to fend off potentially deadly diseases like cancer.

Angry Victim: Frances Perks blasted Paterson and said she hoped he would “rot in hell”

 Rosemary Platt, herself a doctor and victim testified against Paterson,  telling the court she was left in agony following the pointless surgery

Prosecutors said Paterson may have been performing the operations to boost his own bank balance.
He was convicted Friday, of 17 counts of wounding with intent. However, police have just revealed there could be hundreds of other victims who are yet to come forward: “I wouldn’t be able to put a number on it [extra victims] but there were 248 people we took statements from,” said Det Chief Inspector, Caroline Marsh.
“There has been lots of speculation as to his motives. Financial gain was one and some patients said he wanted to play God with their lives. We will probably never know what his incentive was,” Marsh said.
‘He lied to patients and exaggerated – or invented – the risk of cancer to convince them to go under the knife’.

“My feelings towards him is I hate him with a passion.” – Deborah Hawtin from Matlock, Derbyshire, was one of the few of Paterson’s victims who bravely came forward

Frances Perks, whose mother and sister died from breast cancer, was advised to undergo a series of operations, fearing she could develop “full-blown cancer”.
Mrs Perks wept recalling her ordeal at the trial of Paterson. She was first referred to Paterson in 1994 when she was 35, said: “I think he’s a psychopath. Why would anyone in their right mind do operations to people knowing that they didn’t need them?
“My feelings towards him is I hate him with a passion. You wouldn’t be able to print what I truly think of him and what I would like to see happen to him” .
“But I hope he goes down for a very long time and I hope he has a dreadful time in prison and hope he rots in hell.”

 Young victim: Jade Edgington said she was just turned 16 when Paterson performed a series of unnecessary procedures on her breasts

Given that her sister had also gone under his knife, she felt no reason to distrust Paterson, Perks said. Unfortunately, the charlatan “played” on the family history of cancer: “It was the same [in her case], he played heavily on the fact we lost our mum and older sister, Perks said.
“He always used to play on that and say that because of our family history we were high risk.
“Giving evidence was absolutely horrendous.
“I only had the image of what I was used to seeing at Little Aston Hospital, I wanted to see what he looked like now.
“I wanted to look at him and I wanted him to see me, and I just wanted to see him as a broken man.”
Another victim, Patricia Welch said she had a mastectomy after being told she was a “ticking bomb” , the truth was that the procedure was not necessary.
Welch said “I wanted to look at him and I wanted him to see me, and I just wanted to see him as a broken man.”

Marie Bailey also underwent several unnecessary procedures at the hands of the disgraced doctor

The prosecution contended that Dr. Paterson was motivated by greed, that his trail of criminal behavior was rooted in “obscure motives” which may have included a desire to “earn extra money”.
The defense argued that all the operations were necessary, but the jury agreed with the prosecution that Paterson carried out “extensive, life-changing operations for no medically justifiable reason”.
The jury said Paterson lied to patients, telling them they needed life-saving surgery when in fact there was nothing wrong with them, leaving them mutilated and traumatized and years on, many are still struggling to comprehend his unabashed dishonesty.