Gen Augusto Pinochet (83) was yesterday excused appearing at the next hearing in his fight against extradition after a court heard he was in poor health and had recently suffered two minor strokes.
The former Chilean dictator was due to attend Bow Street Magistrates' Court in central London tomorrow to hear whether he would be committed to face extradition to Spain for alleged human rights crimes.
But sitting at Bow Street yesterday, the Deputy Chief Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr Ronald Bartle, granted an application by the general's lawyers that he should be excused attendance on account of ill-health.
Mr Bartle told the court that, having considered all the available medical evidence, "I am satisfied that Senator Pinochet's health would be further seriously endangered by his having to appear at this court, and his attendance is therefore excused."
Earlier, Dr Michael Loxton, called by Gen Pinochet's lawyers, told the court that the general suffered two small strokes on September 9th and September 25th.
He could not provide definitive evidence that it was a stroke, because the general wears a heart pacemaker, which precludes him from undergoing a magnetic resonance scan, which is the appropriate test.
Referring to that incident, Dr Loxton said that it had been a "proper small stroke".
However, the doctor told the court the general suffered from a loss of short-term memory, unsteadiness on his feet and fuzzy speech.
The doctor who was present at the house at the time thought he was dying and summoned a priest.
Dr Loxton warned that there was an 80 per cent increase in the risk of having a stroke within six weeks of someone having an initial incident.
Mr Brian Gibbins, representing the Spanish authorities, told the court that the prosecution had some reservations about the defence's application for Gen Pinochet to be excused attendance, given that a police doctor had not had the chance to examine him to verify the information contained in the defence's medical reports.