A Melbourne anaesthetist being sued by 50 former patients he allegedly infected with hepatitis C has told a court he can't afford to defend himself against their class action as his assets have been frozen.
James Latham Peters, 62, has pleaded not guilty to more than 160 criminal charges and is accused of spreading the disease via infected needles to women who underwent abortions at a clinic between January 2008 and December 2009.
On top of criminal proceedings against him, 50 women are also suing Dr Peters, seeking unspecified compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses and any loss of income.
Dr Peters told the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday he couldn't afford a lawyer to contest the civil claim as criminal proceedings resulted in his assets being frozen in August last year, and he was also struggling to access Legal Aid.
"I'm on a disability pension. I can't access funds to defend myself," he told the court.
