A PAEDOPHILE who used his position as a karting team boss as a cover to abuse his victims has succeeded in a bid to have his prison sentence cut.

Andrew Fairley, 58, from Musselburgh, was given a five-and-a-half-year jail term by judge Lord Richardson at the High Court in Aberdeen earlier this year.

In July, he was then given an eight-year jail term at Carlisle Crown Court, also for child sexual assaults.

The courts heard how Fairley abused children in the team between 2005 and 2018. He was based in Dunoon, Argyll, at the time of the abuse.

He was able to participate in the sport despite a prior conviction for indecent assault in 1996.

Fairley's victims had approached police to report what had happened to them but the case was not taken forward until allegations against him were made in the media.

Following the report, more victims came forward.

READ MORE: Andrew Fairley jailed for child sex offences in Cumbria

Passing sentence, judge Lord Richardson also ordered Fairley to be supervised by the authorities for three years following his release from custody.

His jail term was ordered to run consecutively to the sentence imposed by the English court.

On Tuesday, Judges Lady Wise and Lord Malcolm heard submissions at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh. They ruled that Fairley’s Scottish jail term should be cut to three years and two months.

The court had heard that people convicted of similar offences received lesser sentences.

Judge Lord Malcolm said: “We shall allow the appeal to the extent of reducing the sentence to three years and two months.”

Lord Malcolm said that no other element of the sentence would be changed. The new sentence will run consecutively to the one imposed by the English court.