Source Norfolk Police published on this website Friday 19 July 2024 by Jill Powell
A Norfolk headteacher has been found guilty of harassing a colleague who said she lived in constant fear of his reprimands and hounding. Gregory Hill, age 48, of Valley Way, Fakenham, appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court Thursday 18 July 2024 and was found guilty of one count of harassment between 12 March 2022 and 22 February 2023, and another count of resisting arrest on 6 March 2023.
Hill had pleaded not guilty to both counts. During the trial, the court heard the victim joined the school where Hill was headteacher in September 2021 as a newly qualified teacher. It was her first teaching job. At first, Hill’s messages to the victim, which he sent from the school’s social media accounts, were work related but became personal from February 2022 onwards.
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 did not want a personal relationship with him, and he continued to harass her up until 19 February 2023 when she reported his behaviour to police.
Over the course of 12 months Hill claimed he had “fallen in love” with the victim, continued messaging her on social media, insisted she join him on a school trip instead of colleagues, and blamed a “slip of the finger” for a WhatsApp telephone call he made to her just before midnight one evening.
A witness explained to police how she had seen Hill photographing the victim’s car while she was visiting a family member. The victim was also told that Hill had been using Facebook to try to find information about her.
On one occasion, when the victim requested a meeting with school officials to discuss his “continued unwanted behaviour”, she was confronted by Hill who said she was responsible for “putting his job at risk” and making him and his elderly mother “homeless.”
In a Victim Personal Statement she described Hill’s messages as a “constant drain on me both mentally and physically, he was always hounding me with messages and emails late at night.
“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.
“I have never suffered with anxiety and have been able to handle any challenges that have been thrown at me…I started to struggle with sleeping and would have nightmares…I had concerns that Mr Hill was aware of my movements and this led to a fear of seeing him when I was out and about.
“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.”
Plain clothes officers arrived at Hill’s school to arrest him shortly before 9am on 6 March 2023.
The court was told how Hill resisted arrest for 33 minutes: he prevented officers from putting him in handcuffs, grabbed hold of a hedgerow and refused to let go, claimed officers were trying to break his wrist and his arms, bit his own lip and pretended to pass out.
Detective Constable Claire Lordan, who led the investigation, said: “Hill exploited and abused his position, he was someone who was trusted by parents and the wider community. 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.
"When he should have been supporting a young woman in her first teaching position, he was self-serving, constantly seeking out opportunities for contact and attention from her, affecting her work and personal life, making her afraid and afraid to be alone.
“I know it wasn’t easy for her to come forward and continue with this investigation and court case, and she deserves all our thanks for having the courage to tell us what was happening because his behaviour needed to stop.”
The hearing was adjourned until 2 September 2024 for sentencing.
