A former policeman who drove a schoolgirl to the brink of suicide with sick text messages skipped court yesterday, because it interfered with his holiday.

Former police constable Keith Miller, 33, is facing a prison sentence of up to six months for targeting the 14-year-old.

His actions drove her to cut herself with blades and take an overdose of paracetamols.

Miller did not attend Newcastle Magistrates' Court yesterday to receive his sentence after he admitted sending a grossly offensive message by phone at an earlier hearing.

The court was told he had been unable to meet the probation service as arranged because he had been on holiday.

He will speak to them on his return today, and sentencing was adjourned until September 17.

Debbie McArdle, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We agree to the adjournment because he informed the court of his holiday."

Miller, who was based in Whickham, Gateshead, told the girl he wanted to take off her school uniform and molest her. He left voicemails describing a sex act he was performing on himself.

She played one to her parents and they called police. Miller, who is single, was arrested and later left the force.

The girl's mother said the traumatised teenager tried to take an overdose on a number of occasions, and had needed months of counselling.

The girl, who is now 16 and cannot be named for legal reasons, met Miller in a chatroom for teenagers while she was using a friend's mobile phone.

She ended up swapping mobile numbers with Miller.

He told her he was a policeman, but said he was 25.

He began bombarding her with messages, which became more and more obscene.

The girl's mother said: "My daughter got to the point where she was scared to go out.

"She started eating paracetamols like they were sweets and we had to hide pencil sharpeners from her because she was taking the blades out and slashing her arms."