A dentist who sued a former patient for £50,000 over allegations that false claims against him damaged his professional reputation has abandoned the case and been told to pay more than £10,000 in expenses.
Keith Watson lodged the defamation action against Andrew McIntosh, relating to claims that led to him being investigated by the dental industry's governing body.
Mr McIntosh made a series of allegations about Mr Watson's professional conduct at Discovery Dental Centre in Dundee and the case was taken to a full hearing by the General Dental Council (GDC).
Mr Watson was subsequently cleared of all misconduct and lodged a £50,000 defamation damages claim at Perth Sheriff Court, but court officials have now confirmed that he has instead been granted a Minute of Abandonment and ordered him to pay £10,050 in expenses to Mr McIntosh, from Invergowrie, Perth and Kinross.
An earlier version of this online article incorrectly asserted that Mr Watson had won the case. This information was published in good faith, based on details supplied by court staff to a freelance court reporter. We apologise for this error.
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