The Staten Island doctor accused of forcing George Harrison to autograph a guitar as the Beatle lay on his deathbed has offered to donate the instrument to charity, his lawyer said yesterday
Wayne Roth, who represents Dr. Gilbert Lederman, said the guitar’s value was less than $10,000 and that neither Lederman nor his son Ariel, who owns the ax, had intended to sell it.
“In order to promote a peaceful resolution, Dr. Lederman has suggested to me that the guitar be donated to a charity mutually agreed upon by his family and the Harrison estate,” said Roth.
Lederman was sued by Harrison’s widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, for allegedly grabbing the Beatle’s hand and forcing him to scrawl his autograph, despite a weakened George’s insistence he could barely spell his name.
Roth said Lederman had developed a “close personal relationship with Mr. Harrison, who freely autographed his son’s guitar.”
But Paul LiCalsi, the lawyer for Harrison’s estate, called the offer a “transparent attempt by Dr. Lederman to put a positive spin on his egregious behavior.
“If this were sincere, Dr. Lederman could give the guitar back to the Harrisons and write a check to the charity of his choice,” LiCalsi said.
He added a friend of the Harrison family and a member of the nursing staff witnessed Harrison sign the guitar and he appeared to be “in great discomfort.”
Lederman was fined $5,000 by the state for breaching patient confidentiality rules by discussing Harrison’s condition, which Roth blamed on “the great admiration and respect Dr. Lederman had for Mr. Harrison.”
Lederman was also charged with directing another doctor to alter hospital records to hide an “incorrect administration of radiation.” Lederman denied falsifying records and pleaded no contest to the confidentiality rap – satisfying both charges. (p. 13 Metro)