A former amateur comedian has been jailed for nine years for sexually abusing a young boy when he was himself a child.

Gavin Durling, 29, had claimed he suffered from amnesia and Judge Michael Carroll said his trial was delayed while "professionals" examined him.

But he added: "I can only assume by the complete deafening silence of any evidence from them this was a complete fabrication on your part.

"It just shows on any view the overwhelming nature of the case against you."

Durling, formerly of Queen Elizabeth Square, Maidstone, denied four offences of rape, 10 of indecency with a child and five of indecent assault.

A jury of eight women and four men convicted him on Monday of all 19 charges by a 10-2 majority.

After the verdicts, the prosecution asked for the charges relating to making and possessing child sex abuse images to be left on the court file.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the former Maidstone comedy club performer was as young as 11 and the boy was five when the abuse started.

Gavin Durling was jailed for nine years at Maidstone Crown Court

Michael Riley, prosecuting, said Durling would play a card game with the boy that led to sex.

"Every card that was picked meant a sex act," he said. "The activity would be one after another. The alarm would go and it would be time for another card."

It would always end with a sex act.

"He was told it was their secret," said Mr Riley. "He said if anybody else knew it would spoil it. That is important. If it was an adult, we would call it grooming. That is really what it is."

The prosecutor said the sex acts fell into four categories, one of which was rape. Each of the offences was an example of "many, many instances of each one of these pieces of sexual activity".

The victim, now in his early 20s, went to the police in May 2010. Over the years he told friends what had happened.

Asked how he felt now, he said: "It makes me feel sick and disgusted but back then it made me feel close to him."

Durling denied every allegation.