Jayant Patel, former director of surgery at the Bundaberg Base Hospital, is accused of performing a surgery on an unhealthy person which led to his death and a case of manslaughter had been registered against him. In Queensland Supreme Court, he pleaded not guilty for the conviction of unlawful killing of the 75-year-old patient, Mervyn John Morris.

Prosecutors are of the view that the Dr. Patel should not have operated Mr. Morris, who was too old to cope with a surgery and would have tackled the situation differently. They also accused Dr. Patel of misinterpreting the cause of bleeding.

But Dr. Patel is of the view that Mr. Morris was suffering from bleeding diverticulosis and three diagnostic tests on Mr. Morris couldn't counter any other problem. He also added that Mr. Morris was suffering with the internal bleeding and his heart would not have cope with other serious bleeding from rectum. So the first action he can sought at that moment was of surgery and also Mr. Morris was fit enough to undergo the surgery.

Mr. Morris was operated on May 23, 2003, for the colon surgery and died on June 14, 2003, three weeks after the surgery.