Football pundit Eamon Dunphy has come under fire for saying that the two and half year jail term handed to convicted paedophile Tom Humphries was "just about the right sentence".

The judge in the case has been criticised by abuse victims' charities for the leniency of the penalty.

Judge Karen O'Connor has also been under fire for saying it was hard not to have sympathy for the former Irish times journalist.

Speaking on TV3's Tonight Show, Eamon Dunphy said he also has sympathy for Humphries.

'His life is effectively over, he has to live with the shame. He has hurt his family and hurt this girl. I believe that mitigation is part of the criminal justice system'.