Junior surgeon Mahesh Goel was incompetent in removing the wrong kidney from an elderly patient who later died, a court has heard.

Korean War veteran Graham Reeves, 70, died five weeks after the bungled operation at Llanelli's Prince Philip Hospital, during which his healthy left kidney was removed during removal of a stone and his disease.

Consultant urologist John Gethin Roberts, 60, and registrar Mr Goel, 40, from Burnley in Lancashire, are on trial for manslaughter at Cardiff Crown Court, but both deny the charge.

John Roberts denies the manslaughter charge

Expert witness Richard Notley said Thursday that Mr Goel should have been able to tell he was not extracting the diseased right organ.

The court heard how part of the kidney was grossly distended, and the renal artery leading into it carried no blood supply.

The surgeon should have noticed that he was clamping a healthy artery, pulsating with blood, and he should have noticed the lack of distention, Mr Notley said.

'Worst mistake'

"In my view it is a complete failure of proper care. I wouldn't regard it as careless - I would regard it as incompetent," he said.

Of co-defendant Mr Roberts' alleged failure to check which kidney was earmarked for removal, he said: "He couldn't have made a worse mistake, and the mistake he made was inexcusable."

In my view it is a complete failure of proper care. I would regard it as incompetent, not as careless

Richard Notley, witness

The witness is a consultant urologist and senior kidney surgeon of 26 years.

Retired pipe lagger and bachelor Mr Reeves underwent the operation because he was suffering a stone in his right kidney.

Two hours after that operation, the blunder came to light when the patient was unable to pass urine.

He was transferred to Morriston Hospital the following day where he underwent specialist dialysis.

But Mr Reeves went on to develop septicaemia - blood poisoning - and his condition deteriorated and his diseased kidney then had to be removed.

Graham Reeves: victim of a "fateful chain of events."

The incident has previously been called a "fateful chain of events."

Earlier Thursday, the trial heard from another surgeon, Professor John Monson of East Yorkshire Hospital.

He told the court the system of safety checks at Prince Philip Hospital had failed "all the way along the line," though every system had the "potential for failure."

He said it was reasonable to assume a registrar, such as Mr Goel, would have carried out required checks.

But, he said, "the buck stops" with the consultant in charge.

The defendants deny the charges and the trial continues.