A Norfolk headteacher harassed a trainee teacher and made derogatory comments about her sexuality after she spurned his love interest, a court has heard.
Gregory Hill, 48, is accused of hounding the object of his unwanted romantic advances for more than a year including bombarding her with social media messages.
The then headteacher of Howard Junior School in King's Lynn also demanded she accompany him to Sandringham for five consecutive days to mark the death of the late Queen.
When he later learned she was gay he made a series of remarks about her partner and clothing and referred to her footwear as “lesbian shoes”.
King’s Lynn Magistrates Court was told he had developed an interest in the young teacher, sending her a message stating: “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.”
When he professed his love on another occasion she replied: “I’m sorry Greg I have never said that I have feelings for you. This has to stop.”
Monali Raleraskar, prosecuting, said on 13 separate occasions he should have known that his behaviour towards a junior member of staff amounted to harassment.
She said the newly qualified teacher, who was in her 20s, had started at the school - which Hill had been head for 10 years - in September 2021 and had been “inexperienced and naive”.
READ MORE: King's Lynn headteacher Gregory Hill denies harassing woman
Hill, of Valley Way in Fakenham, denies harassment without violence between March 2022 and February 2023.
He also denies obstructing and resisting police on March 6 last year as they arrested him in front of parents and pupils outside the school.
Giving evidence via video link the teacher, who no longer works at the school, became emotional reading out parts of messages between the pair and detailed how she had become “scared” of his behaviour.
She detailed one occasion where Hill had been seen outside her father’s home in Fakenham taking pictures of her car.
“I was scared and felt it was getting really serious. I didn’t know what he was capable of or what he might do,” she said.
On another bank holiday she said he had bombarded her with multiple requests to 'friend' her on her personal social media accounts.
“It was relentless. My phone did not stop pinging,” she said.
She said at other times he had become “fixated” on her being in a relationship with other members of staff.
The court was told she had repeatedly complained to another senior staff member who was acting as a mentor during her training period.
However after feeling no action was taken she requested a face-to-face meeting with the school chair of governors.
She also resorted to secretly recording a conservation where she confronted the head after he had accused her in school assembly of being hungover after her birthday.
READ MORE: Howard Junior School head Gregory Hill arrested
She felt he had singled her out for harsher treatment and was using her ongoing training as a threat over her, she told the court.
“He was in charge of my entire career. He always made it clear that my two year teaching had to be signed off by him. He held it over me,” she added.
The court heard the messages had begun when she was in charge of a class Twitter account and he would praise her online but had later referred to unwanted romantic requests that she tried to avoid.
She said: “I didn’t want to come across as leading him on because I wasn’t. I tried to keep it professional and concentrate on school.”
She admitted using heart emojis and an X symbol signifying a kiss in some replies but said this had not been meant to lead him on or be romantic.
“There wasn’t any meaning behind it. I definitely did not mean that we would kiss,” she added.
The trial continues.
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