Bodycam footage reveals moment former Norfolk headteacher is arrested for harassing young teacher
Police bodycam footage of him being arrested outside the school (Credit: Norfolk Police).
The former headteacher of a school has been found guilty of harassing a colleague who said she lived in constant fear of his reprimands and hounding.
Gregory Hill, 48, of Valley Way, Fakenham, was arrested outside Howard Junior School in King's Lynn in March 2023, where he had been a teacher for 15 years.
During the trial, the court heard the victim joined Hill’s school in September 2021 as a newly qualified teacher on 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 then became personal.
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, but he continued to harass her up until February 2023 when she reported him to the police.
Over the course of 12 months, Hill claimed he had “fallen in love” with the victim.
A witness explained to police how she had seen Hill photographing the victim’s car while she was visiting a family member.
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.”
Victim suffered "barrage of negativity"
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.
“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.”
Moment of arrest
Plain clothes officers arrived at Howard Junior School to arrest Hill shortly before 9am on 6 March 2023.
Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court was shown police bodycam footage of the moment of arrest, which involved him laying on the ground and shouting.
The court was told how Hill resisted arrest for 33 minutes, preventing officers from putting him in handcuffs.
He also claimed officers were trying to break his wrist and his arms, bit his own lip and pretended to pass out.
Det Con Claire Lordan 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.”
Mr Hill, who had denied the charges, will be sentenced in September.
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