Jayant Patel's former patient says there's 'no justice' in his freedom An eight-year legal saga that ended when the man dubbed "Dr Death" walked free from court on Thursday was a farce, a former patient says. "It's all over and what a farce it's been," Beryl Crosby, president of the Bundaberg Hospital Patients Support Group, said. There was no justice at the end of it all. Ms Crosby was told by Dr Patel to prepare for a funeral after he diagnosed her with cancer. The cancer never existed. After his extradition from the US, lengthy manslaughter trial and retrial - all of which cost Queensland taxpayers more than $3.5 million - Dr Patel has walked away from the Brisbane District Court, free to return to his home in Portland, Oregon. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, wholly suspended, for fraudulently obtaining registration as a doctor in Queensland. Nurse Toni Hoffman blew the whistle on Dr Jayant Patel. "Patients got a life sentence ... and now he's free to go," Ms Crosby said. Nurse Toni Hoffman, who first blew the whistle on Dr Patel's conduct, said she was appalled by the result. "The only way I can console myself is that he won't be able to operate on anyone [in Australia] ever again," she said. President of the Bundaberg Hospital Patients Support Group Beryl Crosby says Jayant Patel has escaped justice. Despite the psychological and financial toll of the legal process, Ms Hoffman she said she would do it all again. It's been the longest ordeal ... but I would do it again, I would have to. It wasn't humanely possible to just stand by and do nothing," she said. The court heard the Indian-born doctor had been effectively struck off by medical boards in the US over complaints about his competence, before applying for the position of senior medical officer at Bundaberg Hospital. He simply faxed the first page of his Certificate of Good Standing to recruiters acting on behalf of Queensland Health, but not the second page which detailed the restrictions placed upon him. Dr Patel was linked to 87 deaths at Bundaberg Hospital, where he was employed as a $200,000-a-year director of surgery between April 2003 and April 2005. He was ultimately charged with manslaughter over the deaths of Gerry Kemps, 77, and James Phillips, 46, and Mervyn Morris, 75, and causing grievous bodily harm to Ian Rodney Vowles and Darcy Blight. Dr Patel was found guilty and sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in 2010. He spent two-and-a-half years behind bars before the High Court quashed his conviction and ordered retrials. After Dr Patel was not guilty of criminal negligence during the first of the retrials in March this year, Queensland's Director of Public Prosecutions, Tony Moynihan QC, decided not to pursue any further charges. During Thursday's sentencing hearing Judge Terry Martin was scathing of Dr Patel's lack of contrition. "I see no indication of, and I hear no expression of, genuine remorse for your offending," he said. He said Dr Patel's acquittal for manslaughter and a hung jury in his grievous bodily harm trial were not endorsements of his conduct. Showing little emotion, Dr Patel made a brief statement outside the courthouse in which he thanked his supporters. "I'm pleased that it's over and I'll be going back to my life and my work," he said. And in this season of giving thanks I would like to thank my legal team ... for the exceptional work they've done. Dr Patel's long-time lawyer Arun Raniga said he understood his client was keen to return home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family. Under Dr Patel's criminal visa arrangements, Queensland police are required to make arrangements for Dr Patel's return to the US. Police would not confirm how soon Dr Patel would be flown to the US on Thursday.