Godstone woman faces ruling delay over facelift damages
A businesswoman who is suing a surgeon over a facelift that went wrong will have to wait until May to hear the High Court's judgement over compensation.
Penny Johnson claims Le Roux Fourie carried out experimental surgery in 2003, which led to nerve damage.
The Surrey woman also says her injuries led to the collapse of her business.
Alain Choo Choy QC, for Mr Fourie who admits liability, did not accept the surgery was experimental and said the business failed for unrelated reasons.
Judgement was delayed until an unspecified date next month for the judge to decide the final compensation figure in the light of further argument.
Mrs Johnson, of Godstone, has claimed plastic surgeon Mr Fourie decided to "play God" with her life.
She said nerve damage to the right side of her face led to her financial and IT consultancy business going into administration.
At the High Court in February, she asked Mr Justice Owen to award her a proportion of £54m which she says was her potential loss as a 50% shareholder when Bishop Cavanagh Ltd failed in 2009.
'Unrealistic business claim'
At that hearing, she said: "My face is constantly contracting, I don't sleep and I have a permanent buzzing around my eye which can be so intense that I can't think about anything."
Mr Choy put the potential business loss at £9m.
He also said the claim that Mrs Johnson's company lost out on a series of contracts was unrealistic.
He accepted her injuries restricted her ability to work, but said the business failed for unrelated commercial and economic reasons.
Mrs Johnson's husband managed the company during her absence.
The couple, with other colleagues, now own another business called BC Direct.