A PAEDOPHILE priest was yesterday branded shameless by a judge as he jailed him for 22 years for sexually abusing young boys.

Alexander Bede Walsh a priest at St John the Evangelist Church in Banbury from 1999 until 2004, was convicted last month of 21 sexual offences over a period of 18 years.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that the Catholic clergyman used his status to prey on his victims, abusing boys in Coventry, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. The abuse, described as “serial and predatory”, took place between 1975 and 1993.

Yesterday Judge Paul Glenn told him: “Shameless accurately describes your attitude to these proceedings. You have shown no remorse at any time.”

He added: “You used God’s name as a lever... manipulating God’s teaching for your own devices."

Walsh, of Church Lane, Abbots Bromley, Staffordshire, also worked at a Catholic boarding school in Staffordshire and at a children’s home in Coleshill, Warwickshire.

He was first arrested in 2006 after two men contacted police to claim they had been abused in Coventry as children.

The 58-year-old was convicted of two serious sexual offences and 19 charges of indecent assault against eight victims when they were aged between eight and 16.

As Walsh was led out of the dock a man in the public gallery applauded and shouted “good riddance”.