Paterson needs to provide evidence at the hearings into the deaths of his patients, a coroner has decided, after the disgraced doctor tried to have his witness summons revoked at the last moment.
The 66-year-old, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for multiple counts of wounding in 2017, was accused of trying to delay the hearings by applying to have his witness summons revoked the day before the first inquest was scheduled to begin on October 10.
Paterson’s lawyer argued that health concerns, lack of legal representation, and insufficient facilities for preparation were reasons to withdraw his witness summons for the judge-led inquests.
In a ruling published on Monday, Coroner Richard Foster stated that he found no reason why Paterson, who resided in Altrincham during his trial and conviction, could not give evidence remotely at the inquests.
Foster said: “It is perfectly reasonable in all circumstances to require him to do so, considering the public interest and the importance of his participation in my investigations and these inquests.”
“I can and will make any necessary adjustments to the court process to obtain the best evidence from Mr. Paterson.”
The coroner rejected a proposal from Paterson’s lawyer that he should only give evidence at the end of the process, stating that it would be detrimental to the investigations.
The first of the 62 inquests, which are expected to span at least eight months at Birmingham and Solihull Coroners Court, will focus on the death of 43-year-old Chloe Nikitas, an environmental consultant from Tamworth who passed away at the Priory Hospital in Birmingham on April 13, 2008.
Paterson was found to have performed unnecessary and unauthorized procedures on over 1,000 breast cancer patients over 14 years.
An independent inquiry concluded that he had conducted numerous unnecessary operations on hundreds of patients, exaggerating or fabricating cancer risks.
More than 560 patient deaths have been reviewed by a team of medical experts, resulting in the opening of 62 inquests where their deaths may have been “unnatural.”