ID :
13263
Mon, 07/21/2008 - 18:03
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http://m.oananews.org//node/13263
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Patel arrives in Australia; police produces him before court
Natasha Chaku Melbourne, July 21 (PTI) Indian-American doctor Jayant Patel, who arrived Monday back in Australia from the US more than 18 months after being charged with manslaughter, wasproduced before a Brisbane court shortly after his arrival.
Indian surgeon, who was also dubbed as 'Dr. death', and Queensland police detectives along with several policemen made their way from Brisbane International Airport to the police watchhouse and then to the Brisbane court, mediareports said.
Earlier, the 58-year-old doctor was escorted without handcuffs by two Queensland police officers on a QantasAirways flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane.
Patel is facing 13 charges, including three of manslaughter in the deaths of patients at a regionalQueensland state hospital where he was posted as a surgeon.
The doctor and the two officers travelling with him were shielded from the public during their flight from the US,said passengers on the flight, according to A.A.P. report.
"It was very discreet, we couldn't see anything the whole time," American traveller Shane Reese said adding "There was a lot of people talking about it on the flight, everyone was kind of anticipating a scene, but there was not much going on." Another passenger, Sheridan Harvey, said she had abrief glimpse of Dr Patel and said he appeared expressionless.
Passengers said Patel was moved away from other passengers once the plane landed, allowing them to disembarkfirst.
He is believed to have been led from the plane into a waiting white sedan, which received a police escort as ittravelled to the Brisbane.
A large media contingent was at the airport for thearrival but police whisked Patel away out of their view.
Meanwhile, Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shinesaid he was confident that Patel would receive a fair trial.
"I believe that any person facing trial before a criminal court in Queensland can receive a fair trial," Shinesaid, ABC report said.
"Queensland juries are properly directed, judges are quite capable of deciding the innocence or guilt of a person based on the evidence that is produced ... in the trial only,"Shine said.
"The attitude of the Government (in seeking bail) is not relevant, the matter will be entirely for the independent Director of Public Prosecutions," Shine further said, adding Patel's trial was likely to be lengthy given the severity ofthe charges against him.
"The committal stage could take months or weeks depending on defence, but because he is facing serious charges one would expect that the process of the normal course willtake many, many months," Shine added.
Happy at the recent development, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she was confident a properly instructed juryis capable of assessing the evidence set before it.
Indian surgeon, who was also dubbed as 'Dr. death', and Queensland police detectives along with several policemen made their way from Brisbane International Airport to the police watchhouse and then to the Brisbane court, mediareports said.
Earlier, the 58-year-old doctor was escorted without handcuffs by two Queensland police officers on a QantasAirways flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane.
Patel is facing 13 charges, including three of manslaughter in the deaths of patients at a regionalQueensland state hospital where he was posted as a surgeon.
The doctor and the two officers travelling with him were shielded from the public during their flight from the US,said passengers on the flight, according to A.A.P. report.
"It was very discreet, we couldn't see anything the whole time," American traveller Shane Reese said adding "There was a lot of people talking about it on the flight, everyone was kind of anticipating a scene, but there was not much going on." Another passenger, Sheridan Harvey, said she had abrief glimpse of Dr Patel and said he appeared expressionless.
Passengers said Patel was moved away from other passengers once the plane landed, allowing them to disembarkfirst.
He is believed to have been led from the plane into a waiting white sedan, which received a police escort as ittravelled to the Brisbane.
A large media contingent was at the airport for thearrival but police whisked Patel away out of their view.
Meanwhile, Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shinesaid he was confident that Patel would receive a fair trial.
"I believe that any person facing trial before a criminal court in Queensland can receive a fair trial," Shinesaid, ABC report said.
"Queensland juries are properly directed, judges are quite capable of deciding the innocence or guilt of a person based on the evidence that is produced ... in the trial only,"Shine said.
"The attitude of the Government (in seeking bail) is not relevant, the matter will be entirely for the independent Director of Public Prosecutions," Shine further said, adding Patel's trial was likely to be lengthy given the severity ofthe charges against him.
"The committal stage could take months or weeks depending on defence, but because he is facing serious charges one would expect that the process of the normal course willtake many, many months," Shine added.
Happy at the recent development, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she was confident a properly instructed juryis capable of assessing the evidence set before it.
