to seven years yesterday by the Court of Appeal.

Gregory Howard Dill was found guilty in December of manslaughter -- stabbing David Bruce Riley to death during an argument -- after being cleared of murder.

He was slapped with the ten year sentence by Chief Justice Austin Ward who said acceptance of a five or seven-year sentence, like the defence and Crown had suggested, "would show a callous disregard for the value of human life''.

But Court of Appeals president Sir James Astwood said in a written decision: "At the time when the Applicant (Dill) was sentenced, the range of sentences on conviction seems to have been accepted by our Courts to be six to eight years when there had been a contested trial for a similar offence where knives or other offensive weapons were used.

"Since the Applicant received ten years imprisonment, he must feel a sense of grievance to be given a higher sentence than others before notice was given by our courts that they will now increase sentences where knives or other offensive weapons are used in the commission of the offence.'' Sir James added that the three-man Court of Appeal believed the tariff in Bermuda was too low and "the sentences for those convicted of manslaughter where knives or other offensive weapons are used to inflict injury, should in future be in the range of ten to 12 years''.

However the Court of Appeal still quashed the sentence of ten years and imposed one of seven years imprisonment.

Yesterday Dill's lawyer Archibald Warner said he was pleased because the sentence was what he had suggested during the trial.

Originally Mr. Warner intended to appeal the conviction as well but later changed his mind.

During the trial the court heard that Mr. Riley, 33, of Warwick, was found lying in the doorway of a friend's apartment in Angle Street after being stabbed in the stomach by Dill.

A series of witnesses testified during the trial that the two men had been fighting that day and at one point Mr. Riley was seen wielding a knife, while Dill, of Angle Street, was seen brandishing a metal pipe. Mr. Warner had said that his client was provoked and only armed himself for his own protection after Mr. Riley chased him with a stick, beat him and tried to strike him on the head.

Dill suffered an injured arm which required a cast to be worn for several weeks and Mr. Warner pointed out that his client turned himself in to Police shortly after the stabbing.