We have been discussing the outrageous acts of Simon Bramhall, 53, who branded with his initials on the livers of patients. In a clearly insufficient sentence, Bramhall has received no jail time and simply a 12-month community order and fined £10,000. He was allowed to plead guilty in the Birmingham Crown Court to two counts of assault by beating.
Bramhall was working as a liver transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital when he used an argon beam coagulator to burn his initials into the livers in 2013.
It is not clear what it takes to get jail time in England if this does not merit even a short stint. This doctor used his authority over unconscious patients to abuse them. It is also not clear why others have not joined in the punishment since he had to have done with with the knowledge of others who failed to take appropriate actions.
Hopefully, the patients will be able to sue civilly for the obvious acts of battery and infliction of emotional distress.
If the patients were not harmed by the branding, they were still victims of the abuse. One victim referred to feeling that she had been raped. I would have given Bramhall a sentence in the range of 6 months to a year as a minimum punishment.
What do you think would be appropriate?