A church warden has been cleared of trying to hire a hitman to murder a financial advisor who he partly blamed for a £1m loss.

Former GP Dr David Crichton, 64, admitted putting Brown Shipley adviser Andrew Bolden's name on a site on the dark web which offered contract killers for hire.

But the trial heard it had been a “mental exercise to clear his head.”

The jury at Winchester Crown Court cleared Dr Crichton of the offence, but found him guilty of three other malicious communications crimes in respect of the adviser who, according to Brown Shipley’s website, specialises in advising members of the medical and academic professions.

In February 2017 officers found Mr Bolden's name and Edinburgh address on the hidden website.

Dr Crichton had denied he had selected a $5,000 option labelled “Kill the b******.”

The defendant, of Cawdor Road, Bournemouth, admitted he had been in dispute with Mr Bolden, who acted professionally and appropriately throughout, after paying him for pension advice in 2012.

Dr Crichton waged a five-year “campaign of harassment” on Mr Bolden sending around 100 emails to Mr Bolden and his firm, Brown Shipley.

Mr Bolden was a consultant for four years before joining Brown Shipley in 2015.

He has regularly delivered seminars on all aspects of wealth management and retirement planning and is working towards Chartered status.

A Dorset Police spokesman told Financial Planning Today: “We carried out a detailed investigation in this case and respect the decision of the court.”

A spokesman for Brown Shipley said: ““This has been a very sensitive and extremely difficult matter for our employee, Andy Bolden, and his family.

“So, having supported the authorities throughout the case, we are pleased that it has now concluded.

“We would like to put on record once again that Brown Shipley stands by the quality of the advice Andy gave back in 2012 and to reiterate the fact that the regulatory authorities confirmed Andy to have given the correct advice.

“The advice was given during Andy’s time at Hampton Dean, a Financial Planning business, which was later acquired by Brown Shipley in 2015.”

Dr Crichton was fined £6,000 which must be paid in six months or he will face a six-month jail term.

He must also pay £1,500 prosecution costs and was hit with an indefinite restraining order.