A FORMER abortion clinic doctor has pleaded guilty to infecting more than 50 patients with hepatitis C at a clinic in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

Emotional victims wept in the Supreme Court as James Latham Peters, 63, responded with the word “guilty” to each of the 55 charges of negligently causing serious injury as they were read aloud.

It was alleged in previous court proceedings the former anaesthetist infected patients at the Croydon Day Surgery between 2008 and 2009 by using needles to inject himself before using them on his patients, in a bid to hide his drug addiction.

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Peters had been addicted to the drug fentanyl, an opioid used in general anaesthesia, since 1996, and knew of his hepatitis C status since 1997, a court previously heard.

Justice Paul Coghlan said he sympthathised with the women suffering as a result of the crimes, around 20 of whom were in court and comforted each other throughout the hearing.

“The victims in this case are a group of the most highly innocent people you could ever come across…” Justice Coghlan said.

He said the fact these women might come under attack or criticism by some in the community would make the terrible situation they were in much worse.

“I think its bad enough the victims have to go through this process,” he said.

Peters was remanded on bail to appear in the Supreme Court for a plea on February 11.