A SURGEON who said he was too busy to attend an inquest was yesterday warned by Coroner Warner Banks that he could be arrested and jailed for up to a year if he ignored a summons in future. The warning came during an inquest into the death of Ng Dor-tat, 44, a plasterer who died in August after suffering head injuries in a fall at a construction site in Chai Wan. The court heard that Ng was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in June last year after the fall. Surgeons carried out two operations, the first to remove a bone fragment from his brain and the second, a day later, to remove a blood clot which had developed. However, his condition deteriorated and he died on August 4. Mr Banks found the death was accidental and caused by the clot. At the start of the inquest the coroner's officer told Mr Banks the surgeon summonsed to appear to give evidence, Dr Lam Wing-fong, had failed to come claiming he was snowed under with work. The surgeon was contacted by telephone and when he arrived after about an hour, he was warned by the coroner he could face jail if he ignored a future summons.
