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Published on 10/06/2025 - 11:37 GMT+2
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A plastic surgeon in England has been jailed for life for the attempted murder of a colleague, who he stabbed after trying to set his house on fire.
Jonathan Peter Brooks, 61, broke into Graeme Perks' home in Nottinghamshire in the early hours of 14 January 2021, wearing camouflage gear and carrying a crowbar, cans of petrol, matches and a knife.
Brooks doused the ground floor of the house with petrol, but was interrupted by Perks, 65, before he could set it alight. The surgeon stabbed his recently retired colleague in the abdomen, causing life-threatening injury.
Brooks had been subject to disciplinary issues at work, and it was clear that he held a grudge against Perks for his involvement in the process, according to prosecutors.
He was convicted in April of two counts of attempted murder, one of attempted arson with intent to endanger life and one count of possession of a bladed article. On Monday, Brooks was given a minimum term of 22 years.
"Brooks committed an act of extreme violence, attempting to murder a highly respected colleague," said Samantha Shallow, a deputy chief crown prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service.
"This was a planned, calculated attack, in which Brooks showed he was determined to kill his former colleague," she said in a statement.
Brooks was sentenced over video link from prison because he had refused to leave his cell. His trial was "extremely unusual" because he was not present throughout and was not represented by a legal team, prosecutors said. Brooks' sentencing followed a four-year series of legal hearings, including a mistrial and several other aborted trial dates.
"Justice has now caught up with Brooks," Shallow added. "His victim was fortunate to escape with his life and his whole family were in danger from Brooks' inexplicable actions."
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Perks said the attack was an "unimaginable catastrophe" and that it was "ironic that a burns surgeon should wish to immolate our family".
"This has been a nightmare for my wife and son who must have wondered if I was going to survive. This has been beyond every struggle in our lives so far," Perks said.
