John G Ferris will appear in Armidale District Court this morning for sentencing, where his victims will deliver emotional impact statements to the court detailing the effect his abuse has had on their lives since they left Ben Venue Public School four decades ago.

The now 78-year-old was working as a teacher at the primary school in Armidale when he sexually abused eight young girls on school grounds and in a home, in the 1960s and ’70s.

A Crown prosecutor applied to the court this week to have Ferris appear in person for the lengthy sentencing hearing which was granted by Judge Stephen Hanley.

Ferris, who is in custody, has been plagued by health problems since he was refused bail in January but was given the all clear to attend court.

“I have spoken to Justice Health and they have said Mr Ferris is fit to travel,” Ferris’ solicitor Joel Eng told the court this week.

Ferris will be transported to the court this morning from the Cessnock Correctional Centre where he has been held since he pleaded guilty to dozens of offences on young girls.

The Crown has previously indicated in court they were pushing for a “significant custodial sentence” with some of the offences at the time carrying a maximum of 14 years in prison.

“The victims in that matter .... are coming from far and wide including Melbourne and Brisbane,” the prosecutor said earlier this week.

Ferris was arrested in July  after New England detectives attached to Strike Force Flair raided his Armidale home.

Several more victims came forward with abuse allegations after news of the arrest broke.

Strike Force Flair was set up by Armidale detectives to investigate allegations of sexual abuse at the Ben Venue school after a referral to police from the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sex Abuse in 2013.