A senior lawyer has been found guilty of professional misconduct and fined £5,000 for having an affair with his client.

The solicitor was hauled before the Scottish Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal which heard that a vulnerable, female client had been referred to him by a charity. She claimed that she had been assaulted by her husband, who was charged by police but later acquitted at trial.

However, while the lawyer acted for her for just over two months, their affair lasted for 18 months during which he boffed her at his office, at her home and in a hotel. .

"You'll see that para 14(c) of the engagement letter specifically requires you to take your clothes off and me to boff you if I am to continue to represent you."

The solicitor's barrister told the tribunal that affairs between lawyers and clients might be wrong but clearly did happen, and that no other complaints had been raised against his client during his 25-year career. However the tribunal said that his conduct was "very damaging to the reputation of the legal profession". It censured him, fined him £5,000, awarded £250 compensation to his former lover and ordered him to apologise to the charity.

The tribunal said that it had kept the names of the parties confidential in order to protect the client, her children and the charity.