A patient who tried to blackmail the former Scottish secretary of the British Medical Association has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Mahboob Ditta, 39, was found guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of trying to extort money from Dr Brian Potter.

The six-day trial, which heard details of homosexual liaisons the doctor had with Mr Ditta, ruined Dr Potter's medical career and left his personal life in tatters.

The court was told that the sex acts began in 1991 when Dr Potter made a home visit to Ditta's Edinburgh flat after he had complained of back pain.

The 47-year-old doctor repeated the homosexual liaisons during three GP surgeries as other patients waited for appointments.

Panorama programme

Seven years later, after watching a Panorama television programme about doctors who had abused patients, Ditta contacted Dr Potter.

He threatened to reveal the incidents to the press, his family and the GMC if Dr Potter did not hand over £30,000.

Dr Potter immediately contacted the police who wired him up with a hidden microphone during a meeting with Ditta.

Ditta was arrested but lied to police about his attempts at extortion.

Defence agent John Keenan urged Sheriff Iain MacPhail not to jail Ditta, telling the court that Dr Potter brought his downfall upon himself.

It was the improper sex acts in 1991 that ruined the doctor, not the extortion bid, Mr Keenan said.

Sentencing the accused, Sheriff MacPhail said he had taken into account eight character references placed before him on Ditta's behalf.

'Acute distress'

He said: "The fact remains, however, that the jury convicted you of attempted extortion.

"That is a serious crime. You caused your victim acute distress.

"While I take into account your personal circumstances the sentence must reflect the gravity of what you have done."

Dr Potter, who resigned from his BMA post in October and is now unemployed, is still registered as a medical practitioner with the General Medical Council, but now faces being struck off.