For forty years, Father John Benedict Corrigan thought he had escaped justice for indecently assaulting four youngsters between 1967 and 1972.

But Corrigan was caught by the persistence of his victims desperate to make their voices heard, and was finally arrested in 2002 before being extradited from his home in Ireland to face trial on Tyneside.

Corrigan, of Wesport in County Mayo, Ireland, pleaded guilty to nine offences of indecent assault when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court.

Jailing him for four years, Judge David Hodson, the Recorder of Newcastle, said: "You thought that no-one would speak and if they did their word would not be believed against yours.

"When complaints were later made those thoughts were proved right.

"Both the church and the police did nothing.

"But you will not be punished for the failings of others. You will be sentenced for what you did."

When one of the youngsters came forward at the time and spoke of their abuse she was ignored, criticised, and blamed for "shaming" her family,
Newcastle Crown Court was told.

But when another victim came forward in 2002, Corrigan, now 72, was arrested and extradited during a drawn-out legal process.

He sat throughout the court hearing with his hand shielding his face from the packed public gallery.

Penny Moreland, prosecuting at Newcastle Crown Court, said the victims felt they were unable to come forward because of the climate at the time.

"Because of the high regard in which a priest was held during that time period the defendant knew that the victims would comply with whatever the defendant chose to do.

"The boys would be unable to speak and be unable to tell anybody.

"If anything was ever said no-one would believe the children against the priest."

Known as Fr Ben, Corrigan also worked in other parishes across Tyneside and County Durham.

He moved to Galway and retired in 1994.

He will be disqualified from working with children indefinitely and must sign on the sex offenders register.

Fr Dennis Tindle, diocesan safeguarding co-ordinator, said: "Church authorities have worked fully with the police and other statutory agencies following our own extensive procedures to see that justice is done and to support those who were harmed.

"To abuse a position of great trust, causing grave damage to others, is always inexcusable and overshadows whatever undoubted good an offender has also done."