Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Disgraced Leeds Catholic priest's sentence almost doubled for abusing boys in his care

A paedophile priest already convicted of abusing youngsters in his care has been handed a fresh jail sentence, which will almost double his time spent behind bars.

Father Patrick Smythe is a serving prisoner but was recently found guilty of 11 counts of indecent assault after a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The offences date back to the 1970s and 1980s. 

Smythe, who is now 81, was recently handed another seven-year sentence to run consecutively to the seven-and-half-year sentence he received in 2022.

Smythe, formerly of Manor Square, Otley, had worked under the Diocese of Leeds and was in frequent contact with young boys across West Yorkshire during his working life.

He was jailed in 2022 having been found guilty of six counts of indecent assault and one of attempted indecent assault. There were six victims, with one describing Smythe as a “beast”.

The four latest victims were alerted by reports of Smythe’s incarceration and took the decision to step forward.

During the recent trial, Smythe claimed they had simply concocted their stories after hearing about his previous trial, but this was discarded by the jury.

The boys were abused on camping and swimming trips.

The first victim, who was 12 or 13 at the time, was abused by Smythe on trips away. He masturbated the boy and forced the youngster to masturbate him. Smythe also rubbed his penis up against the boy when they were swimming in a river.

Another man said Smythe touched his penis while they were in a swimming bath.

The third was on a camping trip when he woke to find Smythe touching the boy’s penis. He confronted him and Smythe apologised.

The fourth victim said he was about nine-years-old when Smythe cornered him, put one hand over his mouth and the other into the boys underwear. Smythe then callously “told him to clean himself up”. The boy ran out and cried. 

Smythe’s new sentence is made up of six years’ jail, with a one-year licence period.