December 2017 Hampshire PE teacher and Winchester athletics coach jailed for 15 years for abusing girls A former Winchester athletics coach has been jailed for 15 years for indecently assaulting five young girls nearly 40 years ago. Richard John Hilary, of Northend Lane, Droxford, was today (FRI) convicted of 14 counts of indecent assault following a trial at Winchester Crown Court. The court heard how the abuse happened when Hilary was a teacher at a secondary school in Farnborough and a running coach at Winchester Athletics Club between 1978 and 1984. Hilary, now aged 67, kissed and sexually abused the girls – who were all aged under 16 at the time – on many separate occasions. He committed these offences on school premises, in his car, and at his home. Det Con Sarah Fox, officer in the case, said: “Hilary used his position of authority as both a PE teacher and a sports coach to gain the trust of these girls – who are now women – and he abused that trust in the most awful way. “He maintained that he hadn’t done anything wrong throughout our investigation and continued in this vein throughout the court process, which has been especially difficult for the victims.” He also spent 12 years as headteacher of Chamberlayne Park School in Southampton after the alleged offences took place and retired in 2006. Judge Susan Evans QC jailed Hilary for 15 years. He was also ordered to sign on the sex offender’s register for life. Hilary abused his position of trust as a teacher to indecently assault young girls he had responsibility for. Hilary was described by many of his victims as a popular and dynamic teacher, a fact he exploited as he groomed the girls into performing sexual acts for him. The CPS was able to use the teenage diaries of his victims which made clear Hilary’s crimes at the time they happened and provided compelling evidence to put before the jury.