A pair of businessmen have been jailed for seven years each for abducted and brutally assaulting a former stockbroker to force him to pay a debt.

The victim was targeted in an attempted extortion after he had negotiated to buy a company from former bank manager Steven Green, but the money had been paid.

Green, 43, and his co-accused Alan D'Ambrosio, 51, abducted the man following a business meeting at a farm steading at Philipstoun, West Lothian.

They assaulted, robbed and abducted him before striking him up to 40 times with a blunt weapon on the head, neck, shoulders and arms. Bleach was also poured on his body.

The 55-year-old victim was gagged and hooded, and forced into a van with false number plates. He was threatened with further violence if money was not paid to Green.

A jury had convicted Green and D'Ambrosio of crimes of assault, robbery, abduction and attempted extortion last month.

When they appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Lord Uist told them it was a "deplorable" incident of organised criminality and lawlessness.

He said: "The use of violence in business dealings has to be suppressed by appropriate punishment being meted out to those who engage in it."

Lord Uist, who said the victim was left with scars on his head and legs, said it was clear that Green was the instigator of the attack as he had brought the victim to the scene.

He said neither had shown shame or remorse and continued to deny their guilt in the face of compelling evidence.

The victim was robbed of a wallet, phone and car keys and threatened with violence if money was not paid to Green within a week.

He told the trial he had turned up for a morning meeting with Green at a nearby garden centre but it was closed and he was invited back to his office at the farm.

The former stockbroker had been planning a £800,000 purchase of a bridging loan firm from Green. He was making his way back to his vehicle when he was attacked. He said a van had pulled up next to Green's 4X4 with three people around it.

During the trial, advocate depute Jim Keegan QC asked the victim what he thought was going to happen to him during the ordeal.

"I thought I was going to die, quite frankly," he said, adding his attackers had warned him they knew where his family was. Witnesses had seen part of the assault and contacted police.

Green, who ran venture capital firm Pentland Capital and held an interest in Glencairn Risk Solutions, which was co-owned by D'Ambrosio, denied assaulting, abducting and attempting to extort money from the victim on April 25, 2014 at West Philpstoun Steadings, Philpstoun.

The court heard Green, of Buie Rigg, Kirkliston, Edinburgh, had overseas business interests in countries including Ethiopia.

D'Ambrosio, formerly of Brighouse Park Cross, Edinburgh, also denied being involved in the assault at the car park of the steading and the extortion bid.

He claimed that prior to police questioning he did not know anything about the financial transaction between Green and the former stockbroker.

The pair were convicted of committing the crime while acting with others unknown by a jury last month.

Defence counsel Keith Stewart QC, for Green, said a series of testimonials produced on his behalf were "remarkable" and reflected his conduct in business, family life, his faith and the help he had given others including through charity work in Africa.

Matt Jackson, defence counsel for D'Ambrosio, said he had previously been "a very successful businessman" who had enjoyed "significant success at times".