A judge apologised to the victim of sex offences at the hands of a former Medway teacher and her family after they attended court for the sentence, only to find it had been delayed.

Clive Gibson, who taught at a Gillingham school, was due to be jailed today for three offences of sexual assault and one of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

But the case was merely listed for an application by the 52-year-old, of Bredhurst Road, Wigmore, to vary his bail conditions.

Gudrum Young, defending, said the victim’s family had attended court and were “understandably quite distressed” sentence was not going ahead.

Judge Jeremy Carey replied: “I bet they are. I am very sorry about it.”

He explained there was a good reason for the delay in that the judge who was due to pass sentence was in the middle of a trial and had a heavy workload.

Judge Carey added: “Even so, I don’t blame them.”

The sentencing hearing was rearranged for next Monday, April 18.

Miss Young conceded that Gibson was facing “an inevitable lengthy custodial sentence”.