A disgraced breast surgeon jailed for 15 years for carrying out needless operations on patients never once had to enter the court dock during his criminal trial - after getting the judge's permission.

Ian Paterson, branded a "monster" by one victim, was also given a dispensation by the judge for his daughter to sit by him throughout proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court - right up until his conviction last month.

The 59-year-old was found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three counts of unlawful wounding against 10 patients.

On Wednesday, he was sentenced, but this time followed proceedings while sat behind the thick plate glass of the court dock flanked by burly security officers.

In front of a public gallery packed by his victims and their supporters, the surgeon was handed 15 years for each count of wounding with intent and four years for each count of unlawful wounding - to run concurrently.

Paterson, from Altrincham, Greater Manchester, was given other dispensations by the judge including being allowed to be driven by private car into the Nottingham court's car park - avoiding waiting press.

Defendants on bail usually have to enter court through the front door, along with the rest of the general public.

At the very start of his trial, his lawyers had applied for reporting restrictions to be applied to the case but Mr Justice Jeremy Baker QC refused to impose the limiting measures.

The judge did remind the media of rules which restrict filming or photography within the "precincts" of the court.

Procedural rules meant Paterson also never had his mugshot taken because he was never formally charged with the offences at the police station.

As a result, there are very few still or moving images of Paterson which were taken during his trial.

On the morning of sentencing, Paterson ran to court half an hour before advertised opening times, just after 8am, to find the main doors had been unlocked.

It meant that again he managed to evade much of the waiting press, with just one TV news crew capturing his arrival.

Speaking after sentencing, one of the surgeon's victims John Ingram spoke about Paterson's treatment during trial.

"It was a very well thought and clearly planned strategy in my opinion," he said.

"He took the best advice he could afford at the time and not only did he avoid the media, he got dispensation from the court not to sit in the dock during the trial - so he sat next to his family, and to always be protected."