A dentist who urinated in his sink then tried to plot revenge on the whistleblower he blamed for costing him his career has had his jail sentence upheld.
Disgraced Alan Hutchinson was struck off the register in 2007 after he was accused of “unhygienic” practices at his surgery in Batley .
Years later, he hatched a revenge plot with Jai Singh-Sodhi which involved blackmailing his accuser. The plot was foiled and the two were jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court in 2016.
On Wednesday a judge threw out the pair’s appeal to cut the jail term, claiming the sentence was “by no means excessive” for their “despicable” actions.
Hutchinson, 63, of Batley Field Hill, Upper Batley, demanded £250,000 from his victims to return potentially embarrassing material.
In 2012 he enlisted the help of Singh-Sodhi, of Strone Road, East Ham, to pose as a journalist in the blackmail plan.
The plot collapsed when the two men fell out but Singh-Sodhi, 34, revived the plan 15 months later in 2014, before being reported to police.
Both men were convicted of conspiracy to blackmail, with Singh-Sodhi also found guilty of actual blackmail, and given hefty sentences.
The two men appealed, claiming their sentences were too severe, but the requests were thrown out by the Court of Appeal.
Mr Justice Spencer told the pair they were motivated by “revenge” and “greed”, and that the six-year term for the original aborted blackmail plot was fully justified.
He said: “It was only because the defendants fell out amongst themselves that the conspiracy did not proceed to the full offence of blackmail in 2012,” he said.
“The sentencing judge was best placed to assess the overall criminality and the seriousness of the case. There will often be an element of deterrence in a sentence for blackmail.
“We think the judge was entitled to pass this severe sentence for this despicable offence.”
Singh Sodhi’s appeal was also rejected on the grounds the original judge who jailed him “was entirely satisfied that his motivation was simple greed.”
Mr Justice Spencer added: “He alone revived the scheme and put it into action in 2014.”
“For this overall criminality, six years was by no means manifestly excessive.”
Both men’s sentences were upheld.
