The couple, from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, admitted four charges of obtaining 20 Viagra tablets by deception when they appeared at York Crown Court on Friday. Both were fined �200 with �344 costs.

Viagra pills: McEwan too embarrassed to use own name

A charge of stealing a prescription pad against McEwan was ordered to lie on file.

Fiona Dix-Dyer, prosecuting, said McEwan, 29, and his girlfriend thought it would be interesting to try out Viagra impotence pills.

"He'd read of studies in America that Viagra improved sexual function in women, it being an aphrodisiac increasing the blood flow to the genital region."

She said McEwan wrote out the prescriptions on a pad he had taken from his previous job at a medical centre in County Durham.

Mrs McEwan, 26, who married the doctor earlier this year, then managed to obtain 12 tablets from two chemists in August last year.

They tried to get more, but the chemists only had a few in stock.

Pharmacy staff became suspicious and alerted police.

Embarrassment

McEwan, working as a locum at Bradford Royal Infirmary at the time, said he had used false names to avoid embarrassment.

He accepted that the drug was not licensed for women in this country.

Andrew Dallas, defending, said McEwan was on anti-depressants at the time because he could not cope with the stresses of being a junior doctor.

"It would have been quite easy for them to obtain the tablets in some way which would not have involved the commission of a criminal offence," he said.

"It was simply embarrassment because of his position that led them to go about it in this manner."

Mr Dallas said McEwan could not work until the case was concluded and would face a hearing in front of the General Medical Council.

Sentencing the couple, Judge Gavin Barr-Young said: "You both had the intelligence to know that what you were doing was dishonest, blatant deception.

"It is sad to see a doctor in the early stages of his career behaving in such a way that will certainly bring him to the attention of his professional body, even if it doesn't mean he will automatically incur their wrath."