A headteacher who “exploited and abused his position” has been found guilty of harassing a junior female teacher who turned down his advances.
Gregory Hill claimed he had “fallen in love” with his junior colleague and bombarded her with messages sent from the school’s social media accounts that became increasingly personal from February 2022 onwards over a period of 12 months.
As well as messaging her, he even tried to pressure her to join him on a school trip, after she started at Howard Junior School, in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, in September 2021.
The woman said that Hill, 48, had been “always hounding me with messages and emails late at night”.
On one occasion Hill messaged her: “Can’t wait to see this smile, this beautiful face and wonderful person tomorrow.”
Another time, he messaged: “I’d love to build a future for us in school and outside of school xx.”
The victim told Hill she didn’t want a personal relationship with him, but he continued to harass her up until 19 February 2023, when she reported his behaviour to police.
When officers arrived at Hill’s school to arrest him shortly before 9am on 6 March 2023, he resisted arrest for 33 minutes.
Police bodycam footage of the arrest of Gregory Hill who clung to a hedge when officers came for him. Pic: PA
Behaviour gave victim ‘nightmares’
In her victim impact statement, the female teacher said: “I was never able to relax or have any personal time as there was a clear expectation from him that I replied to his every communication.
“When I failed to do this, he took this personally and I then received a barrage of negativity from him.
“As time progressed at school my behaviours changed.
“I found that I did not want to be alone in case this led to Mr Hill taking the opportunity to come into class to discuss things with me.”
Due to his harassment, she began to “struggle with sleeping and would have nightmares” as well as living in “fear of seeing him” when she was outside of school.
She added: “These last few years have completely changed me as a person and I do not know if I will ever return to the person I once was.”
One witness told police that Hill had photographed the victim’s car when she was visiting a family member.
Hill also used Facebook to try to find information about his victim, police said.
When the victim tried to end the harassment, she requested a meeting with school officials over “continued unwanted behaviour” but Hill confronted her and claimed she was responsible for “putting his job at risk” and possibly making his elderly mother “homeless”.
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Headteacher ‘pretended to pass out’ in bid to dodge arrest
Hill tried to avoid arrest by grabbing hold of a hedgerow and refusing to let go, claiming officers were trying to break his wrist and arms.
He also bit his own lip and pretended to pass out.
Norfolk Police said that Hill, from Fakenham, denied harassment and resisting arrest but was found guilty of both counts at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
He is due to be sentenced on 2 September.
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Detective Constable Claire Lordan, who led the investigation, said Hill “exploited and abused his position,”.
She added: “His behaviour and treatment of a younger colleague, who was just starting out in her career, shows he thought he could behave exactly how he wanted, and get away with it time and time again.”