A TEENAGE rapist's minimum term behind bars was yesterday cut by a quarter by Appeal Court judges.

Detectives who led the inquiry after the attack by Martin Samuel Walsh, last July, last night spoke of the "disappointment" for themselves and the victim at the news.

Walsh, who subjected the 21-year-old woman to a 40-minute long ordeal after waylaying her as she walked her dogs, could now be granted his freedom by early 2011.

It follows his successful appeal to reduce the minimum recommended term he spends in custody as part of a life sentence imposed at Durham Crown Court, last November.

Nineteen-year-old Walsh, of Blake Close, Stanley, County Durham, was given life, but with an order to serve at least six years before being considered for release by the parole board.

He admitted two counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempting to choke his victim, stemming from the incident on the Sustrans footpath, near Stanley.

He was caught, thanks to two quick thinking teenagers, Adam Barker and Johnathan Stoker, who cornered the attacker and held him at bay until police arrived.

Yesterday's appeal hearing was told Walsh, now 20, was considered by experts as, "a disturbed individual, who poses a very high risk of causing serious harm to women". But three leading judges ruled that the minimum six-year term was "manifestly excessive", and slashed it to four-and-a-half years.

Taking into account almost four months spent in custody after his arrest, before being sentenced, it means Walsh could be considered for release by January 2011.

His counsel, Ros Scott-Bell argued a life sentence was inappropriate in Walsh's case and that the six-year minimum "tariff" was too long for such a young man.

Agreeing there was "ample" evidence to justify the life sentence, Mrs Justice Cox said the minimum term was, however, excessive.

"It was, in our view, a truly horrific case of its kind with a number of very serious aggravating features.

"The psychological impact of what happened upon the victim has been serious and long-lasting."

Despite these "aggravating features", she said with sentence reduction for his early guilty pleas, the figure agreed by the Appeal Court panel was four-and-a-half years.

The officer who led the police investigation, Detective Sergeant Graeme Devine, said last night: "We have to accept today's ruling by the Court of Appeal, but understandably, the decision has left the victim upset and extremely disappointed.

"Myself, and other officers who worked on this case obviously share her feelings.