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Arrest warrant issued for anaesthetist.

An international arrest warrant has been issued for an anaesthetist, Dr Nadeem Azeez, understood to have returned to Pakistan after being charged with gross negligence manslaughter  following the death of a patient.

Frances Cappuccini, 30, died following the birth of her second son.

As a result of the death, two-and-a-half years ago, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has become the first in the country to be charged with corporate manslaughter, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The teacher, known affectionately as “Mrs Coffee” by her pupils at Offham Primary School, West Malling, where she taught for nine years, suffered a haemorrhage after giving birth to her second son, Giacomo, by emergency caesarean section on October 9, 2012 at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Pembury, Kent.

Dr Azeez, 52, formerly of Tunbridge Wells, and 67-year-old Dr Errol Cornish, of Bromley, Kent have both been charged with gross negligence manslaughter.

An inquest into Mrs Cappuccini's death was due to be heard in February 2014 year, but was postponed while Kent Police investigated the possibility of criminal charges.

At an inquest review, lawyers said Mrs Cappuccini - known as Frankie - and her husband Tom, 33, from West Malling, Kent, had decided on birth by planned caesarean but the couple were allegedly persuaded to allow labour to progress naturally overnight.

Mrs Cappuccini managed to spend time with her new son, who was born weighing 7lb 15oz and nurse him before she died.