Convicted kidnapper, Charles Webster, who was given a ten year sentence by Justice Charles Quin in 2011 successfully appealed his term of years behind bars and had it reduced by two years.

Webster was one of four men involved in the kidnapping of Tyson Tatum in March 2010 where the men had tried to extract a ransom of some $500,000 from Tatum’s family. Tyson had managed to escape after being held against his will for two days.

The other three men were Allan Kelly, Wespie Mullins and the alleged leader, Richard Hurlstone. Hurlstone had left the country after having been released on bail and is believed to be in Honduras.

Mullins was considered also to have been one of the ring leaders in the plot but had only been given a five year prison sentence. This was because he had pleaded guilty, cooperated with the authorities and given evidence against the others.

Because Webster and Kelly had pleaded not guilty but found guilty the judge gave them both 10years.

Webster was able to convince the Appeal Judges that in his case his sentence was too high as he had a low level involvement, he had joined the plot late and the judge had highlighted various mitigating circumstances.

It was the disparity of the sentence Webster had been given compared to Mullins that had been the main factor in the Appeal being granted.

The Appeal Court found that Judge Quin had started with a sentence of around eight years for Mullins and then had discounted it for his assistance but had started so much higher when he calculated the sentences handed down to Webster and Kelly.

Sir John Chadwick, the president of the appeal panel said, “But for the element of disparity on which he relies, I would not have thought it appropriate to interfere with a sentence of ten years but the judge’s reasoning is not easy to follow.”