King's Lynn headteacher Greg Hill guilty of harassment

Gregory Hill, 48, hounded the 21-year-old for more than a year including bombarding her with dozens of social media messages during which he declared his love for her. 

But when Chloe Regester, who is gay, did not reciprocate, the then headteacher of Howard Junior School in King's Lynn made derogatory remarks about her sexuality.

Hill was formerly headteacher of Howard Junior School in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest)

Hill, of Valley Way in Fakenham, was found guilty of harassment following a trial that heard he had also made lewd sexual comments to another young teacher. 

He shouted  “this is a travesty and a set-up job” when the verdict was delivered at Great Yarmouth Magistrates’ Court.

READ MORE: Love-spurned headteacher launched campaign of harassment against trainee, court told

District Judge Williams said he had been “excessively controlling towards young teachers and behaved inappropriately around them”. 

He said Ms Regester, who had been in her first teaching job, had been a “consistent witness” who had maintained there had been no romantic relationship and that she had never expressed feelings towards him.

Still from body-worn video of Gregory Hill being arrested in March 2023 (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Still from body-worn video of Gregory Hill being arrested in March 2023 (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The trial had heard in one message he had told her: “This is confidential, but I have fallen in love with you. It’s hard for me but I will always be fun, kind and supportive.”

However when he professed his love on another occasion she had replied: “I’m sorry Greg I have never said that I have feelings for you. This has to stop.”

District Judge Williams said “the messages don’t lie” and that there was no evidence of her flirting or declaring her feelings in any other context

Her messages to him had been “sent out of obligation” and were against a background of a young teacher keen to impress, he added.

He said evidence given by the second teacher, Isobel Rowe, that Hill had harassed her and made sexually suggestive comments when she was working as a trainee at the school in 2013 was “credible”.

“There was much similarity in her evidence and that in this case,” he added. 

'Aspirations of young female teacher tarnished'

Ms Regester had started at the school - which Hill had been head of for more than 10 years - in September 2021.

Monali Raleraskar, prosecuting, said his behaviour towards a junior member of staff had amounted to harassment on 13 occasions between March 2022 and February 2023.

“The career and aspirations of a young female teacher had been tarnished by his behaviour,” she added. 

READ MORE: King's Lynn headteacher 'harassed second trainee teacher'

The trial had heard that Hill’s romantic obsession had seen him demand she accompany him to Sandringham for five consecutive days to mark the death of the late Queen.

Hill had been headteacher at the primary school for more than 10 years (Image: Newsquest)

He also took photos of her car outside the house of her father and despite claiming not to know she was gay he had searched online to find photos of her partner.  

District Judge Williams said there was “a good reason” why he had refused to provide his phone PIN number to police.  

He said it was clear she had been reluctant to attend Sandringham every day and had gone mainly to “pacify him”.

He also dismissed defence claims that Ms Regester signing off some messages with kisses and heart emojis had led the headteacher on and his claims that she had “acted hot and cold” towards him.

'Bizarre behaviour' during arrest at school

Hill was described as a “difficult witness who had a tendency to boast about his own achievements”.

He had also gone out his way to make derogatory remarks about others from the witness box, he added. 

READ MORE: Howard Junior School head arrested in front of parents and pupils

Hill was also found guilty of obstructing and resisting police as they arrested him in front of parents and pupils outside the school in March 2023. 

The district judge described Hill's behaviour when being arrested as 'completely bizarre' (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

The trial had been shown police body-worn footage of him lying on the floor refusing to cooperate for more than 30 minutes. 

The district judge dismissed his claims he had been assaulted and said police had not been aggressive towards him.

His behaviour was “simply bizarre” and completely out of proportion and that his injuries had been minor and were the subject of his own conduct, he added.

He will be sentenced on September 2.