Jail for French 'garage surgeon'

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A Frenchman who claimed to be one of the world's leading cosmetic surgeons, but in fact left patients mutilated, has been sentenced to jail.

The judge in the court in Marseille, France, said Michel Maure had "practised garage medicine - which is a sign of total disregard of others".

Maure was sentenced to four years in prison - one of them suspended.

He is still being held in Spain after being arrested there after going on the run while awaiting sentence.

He is expected to be sent back to France to serve his sentence. Spanish authorities are still examining an extradition request.

Maure had gone missing after standing trial in Marseille in June, accused of false advertising, deception and causing involuntary injury.

Dirty clinic

He was arrested in Rosas, north-eastern Spain, last month, after being spotted on a luxury yacht.

Maure was a qualified doctor but not a trained plastic surgeon.

He was struck off the French medical register in January 2007 after numerous complaints about his procedures. He had practised illegally since 1995, investigators said.

There were 96 complaints from former patients against Dr Maure, 59, including allegations that he had carried out painful procedures under local anaesthetic, in a dirty clinic.

As well as his prison sentence, he has been ordered to pay a 75,000 euro ($107,600) fine and to compensate his victims.