A PRIEST jailed for sexually abusing young boys at Ampleforth College has had his four-year prison sentence reduced by 12 months.

Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London allowed an appeal against sentence by 66-year-old Father Gregory Carroll, ruling that the term originally imposed was "manifestly excessive".

Carroll was jailed for a total of four years last September by a judge at York Crown Crown after earlier admitting offences relating to ten pupils at the school, committed between 1979 and 1987.

In 1987 he was suspended and removed to parish work at Our Lady and St Michael's RC Church in Workington, Cumbria, after confessing to church authorities about having sexual contact with a boy.

He maintained at that time that there had only been one isolated incident, but years later confessed that there had been others.

Carroll, who pleaded guilty to offences of indecent assault and indecency with a child, was not present in court to hear Lord Justice Latham, Mr Justice Burton and the Recorder of London, Judge Peter Beaumont, reduce the length of his sentence.

It had been argued on his behalf that, when sentenced, insufficient account was taken of matters raised in mitigation and his early guilty pleas and that undue weight may have been given to allegations which formed no part of the prosecution case. The judges heard that Carroll recognised his offending amounted to a "gross", double breach of trust as he had been responsible to the boys as their tutor and for their pastoral care.

Giving the ruling of the court, Judge Beaumont said: "This court is concerned that the total sentence of four years, leaving this appellant as a long-term prisoner in his first experience of prison, was drawn from a starting point that was too high for the criminality disclosed in the appellant's behaviour to these boys, bad as it was and disclosing as it did a double breach of trust."

Updated: 08:54 Saturday, January 14, 2006