The High Court has reserved judgment in the case of a former south coast gynaecologist jailed for cutting off a patient's genitalia.
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Graeme Reeves, 63, known as the Butcher of Bega, was jailed for three-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of two years, in July 2011 after he was found guilty of maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, aggravated indecent assault, and obtaining financial advantage by deception.
The Crown appealed against the sentence as manifestly inadequate, while Reeves fought the conviction and sought a retrial.
The NSW Court of Criminal appeal earlier this year increased his jail term by an extra 18 months, despite finding the trial judge had erred in directing the jury.
The appeal judges found the error had caused no miscarriage of justice.
Reeves took the matter to the High Court, with his lawyers on Tuesday arguing the disgraced doctor had the right to a retrial according to law, free of misdirections.
His defence also argued a surgeon who performs an operation believing it to be necessary for the patient's well-being cannot be guilty of a crime.
But the Crown said the misdirection had no bearing on the eventual guilty finding.
"The court of criminal appeal applied the correct principals," the Crown said.