The doctor who was dragged off a United Airlines flight with blood running down his face has been ‘outed’ by the Daily Mail for no reason.

Dr David Dao, 69, was seen being manhandled in an online video which has sparked outrage and threats of a boycott.

It has since been discovered that Dr Dao was forced off the plane so that United Airlines staff could take his seat, through a leaked email to airline employees revealed by ABC.

And now – to add insult to injury – it seems that the Daily Mail has rooted through old court documents to dig up dirt on the doctor, who other passengers on the plane heard pleading: “I want to go home, I want to go home.”

The newspaper published a splash alleging that the doctor, who is married with five children, was found guilty on six felony counts of obtaining drugs by fraud and deceit by the state of Kentucky.

It ran a headline alleging that he had his medical license “suspended for trading prescription drugs for secret gay sex” based on Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure records that show criminal charges against a Dr Dao.

There is some doubt, however, about whether the Dr David Dao in the United story is the same person as the man who was convicted – as the middle names of the men in question are inconsistent.

The backlash to revelations about the doctor’s past has been almost as furious in nature as reactions were to his treatment when he was forcibly dragged off the plane.

#flythefriendlyskies @united my husband had to deboard because of the blood pic.twitter.com/AMywCaPlnC — Kaylyn Davis (@kaylyn_davis) April 10, 2017

@DailyMail @MailOnline He paid debt to society, was reintegrated, license reinstated. WTF does his past have to do w/how he was treated? Nothing. Blame the victim. — Megan Mishler (@meggymish) April 11, 2017

@DailyMail @MailOnline so that makes it ok now for United to knock customers unconscious, then physically drag them down the center aisle of the plane? — Mildred Ellison (@Ellisonx) April 11, 2017

@O_Steganography @DailyMail @MailOnline He had every right to stay on the plane. The overreacting came from the pigs who stormed in and ripped him from his seat and busted his head — Ministry_of_Truth (@Cowboy1brian) April 11, 2017

Other outlets who published details about the doctor’s background have attracted the same type of response.

@courierjournal Reporting this about the man United assaulted are not relevant to what happened & suggest a misunderstanding of the US legal system — Racheline Maltese (@racheline_m) April 11, 2017

@emilysears @courierjournal Apparently you can now justify physical violence by smearing a person with something completely unrelated. — Mike P Williams (@Mike_P_Williams) April 11, 2017

@Mike_P_Williams @KaleJPhoto @emilysears @courierjournal What is new about this? They do This every single time a Black person is murdered by the police! #stayWOKE — fullyfaceted (@crimsonelegance) April 11, 2017

This is not, of course, the first time that the Mail has referred to LGBT people in a derogatory, sensationalist or scaremongering tone.

Last year, it got angry that an “openly gay judge” did his job and issued a ruling about Brexit, while just last month, it branded trans people “gender fascists”.

In fact, there were enough occasions on which the Mail got ridiculously upset about gay people to make a hefty year-end listicle on the subject.