A HAMPSHIRE man who set fire to a university student dressed as a sheep in an ''unbelievably stupid'' drunken act had his jail sentence reduced today.

Jason Whatley, 39, of Faroes Close, Fareham, was jailed for five years last month after admitting setting fire to 19-year-old Stuart Mitchell in Leeds.

But his sentence was reduced to four years at Leeds Crown Court today after a judge heard legal arguments from barristers.

Mr Mitchell was left with burns to 12% of his body after Whatley used a cigarette lighter to ignite his cotton wool and Lycra fancy dress costume in the Headingley Taps pub, Headingley, in October last year.

The student needed a number of skin graft operations for burns to his ankles, arms and hands and had to relinquish his place at university for the year as a result of the incident.

Whatley, who was visiting the city for a reunion and had drunk around eight pints at the time, pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Defence barrister Derek Duffy told the court there was no malicious intent involved but described the incident as an ''unbelievably stupid act'' which went ''horrendously wrong''.

Sentencing Whatley last month, Judge Kerry Macgill criticised him for ''callously'' standing by and not helping Mr Mitchell when he was on fire.

He told him: ''While you were not to know he would go up in flames as he did, you stood idly by and let him burn, and that is wicked in my view.''

Today, Judge Macgill said he stood by his previous views but would reconsider the sentence after being asked to do so by the defence and receiving further information about the case.

He said he accepted that Whatley did not intend the consequences of his actions but added that he could have done something to help Mr Mitchell as he ran from the pub engulfed in flames.

''From an early age, children are told not to play with fire, not to play with matches, not to play with lighters. It's drilled into us as children and in young adulthood that playing with fire has terrible consequences,'' Judge Macgill said. ''Every grown man knows cotton wool will catch fire.

''You can say until the cows come home, Mr Whatley, that you did not intend (the consequences), I accept that without question. What you did was apply fire to the costume worn by the complainant.''

The judge added: ''This is a case, nonetheless, where, although I will reduce the sentence, it will only be to one of four years.''