Plastic surgeon found guilty of attempting to murder colleague

A surgeon has been convicted of the attempted murder of a fellow doctor, after he broke into his house, doused it in petrol and stabbed his victim, who he wanted "out of the way".

- Hannah Al-Othman

The plastic surgeon Peter Brooks, 61, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder, attempted arson with intent to endanger life and possession of a knife in a public place after the attack on a former colleague, Graeme Perks, in the early hours of 14 January 2021.

Brooks was "voluntarily absent" from his month-long trial because he was on hunger strike, it can now be revealed, having said he would "rather be dead than incarcerated". He also sacked his legal team before the trial and was unrepresented.

Jurors at Loughborough crown court deliberated for more than 12 hours before finding Brooks guilty of all the charges against him.