Headteacher who sexually abused girls is jailed for 17 years

• ITV Cymru Wales' Joanne Gallacher reports from Mold Crown Court.

A former headteacher who sexually abused four girls over a four-year period has been jailed for 17 years.

Neil Foden, 66, of Old Colwyn, showed no emotion in the dock as Judge Rhys Rowlands told him he had “preyed on young girls”.

Foden was found guilty of 19 charges, including 12 of sexual activity with a child, at a trial which ended in May after almost four weeks of evidence.

In addition, he was found guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, sexual communication with a child, possessing indecent photographs of a child for show, and the sexual assault of a child under 13.

He had been found not guilty of one charge of sexual activity with a child.

Appearing at Mold Crown Court for sentencing on Monday, 1 July, Foden was sentenced to 17 years and was warned he would serve at least two thirds of this in custody.

Judge Rowlands told Foden: "Your behaviour was born out of your arrogant sense of your self-worth, such that you believed no-one would stand up to you.”

He said Foden had been “determined” to satisfy his “perverted desires”, and was a “man who managed to hide a dreadful secret, an appalling flaw in your character, that being your sexual obsession with young teenage girls".

He added: "You are a domineering, bombastic character quite used to getting your own way.

“It is clear that you have no remorse. You have not shown an ounce of contrition for what you did and you have no insight into the undoubted very serious harm you have caused both to individual victims and to their families.”

Referring to the victims, Judge Rowlands told Foden: "You thought no one would believe their word against yours."

Two of the victims appeared in court to read statements detailing the impact of the abuse on them.

One said: “He exploited both my body and mind and I feel tired and constantly sick as a result.”

Another victim said: “I feel that when he made me go to court to give my evidence he wanted to hurt me for reporting him and, instead of justice, he wanted revenge.”

In a statement which was read to the court, another of the girls abused by Foden said: “I believed him when he said he loved me and I was the only one he wanted.”

She added: “What (he) has done is evil. It’s hit me hard and I’ll never forgive him.”

Foden shook his head at some points as victim statements were read but showed no emotion as he was sentenced.

He was also ordered to pay £4,000 towards prosecution costs.

Foden, who had denied all the charges, started teaching in 1979, and had also been a teaching union leader and a local spokesman on educational issues.

But for four years he sexually abused four girls, urging them to keep quiet about what he was doing, even telling one she "must take it to the grave and not tell anyone".

• Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans, of North Wales Police, reacts to the sentencing of Neil Foden.

When asked if he had had sex with one of the girls, he claimed that a medical condition meant he "couldn't have done, even if I had wanted to". He added: "there is very little point in arranging a sexual liaison I couldn't fulfil".

He was arrested in September 2023 when plain-clothed officers went to his place of work.

On that autumn day, just 45 minutes before his arrest, he deleted 17 images sent to him by one of the victims. There were photographs and videos, some of which were of a sexual nature. They had been stored in a secret folder protected by a password.

He was taken to Caernarfon police station for questioning - answering "no comment" to everything put to him.

During his trial, the court was shown a video of the defendant holding the hand of one of the girls, child A, as she sat in the back of his car, while he was in the driver’s seat.

Foden, who was previously an executive member for the National Education Union, was arrested after child A showed an adult a photo of them together and screenshots of messages about oral sex.

The court heard he would pick her up in his car and drive them to secluded areas.

Another complainant, child E, told police she referred to Foden as Mr P, for perfect, while he called her “his little sex toy”.

She also described meeting the defendant in his BMW car, which had personalised number plates, and driving to remote lay-bys and country lanes “for him to have a play with me”.

After Foden was arrested, police later found a pair of purple and black lace handcuffs in the boot of his car which had DNA present matching Foden and the youngster.

Foden was convicted of pinching the thigh of child B and putting his hand under her clothing and of placing his hands at the top of child C’s inner thighs.

Duncan Bould, defending, said Foden had contributed in a positive way to the lives of others during his career as a teacher and a trades union representative.

He said: “All of those achievements are now lost to him because of his own behaviour, as is his reputation.”

Ceri Ellis-Jones, senior crown prosecutor for the CPS, said: "We welcome the sentence passed today and hope that this provides comfort to the victims knowing that Foden has now been brought to justice.

"These crimes were shocking as Foden was a trusted and well-respected individual.

"The victims are to be commended for their bravery in coming forward and giving evidence. Their support for this prosecution has been key to Foden being brought to justice.

“I would also like to thank the specialist team at North Wales Police with whom we closely collaborated from the outset. We were able to present a compelling case to the jury, resulting in these convictions."

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans said: “North Wales Police welcome today’s sentence which reflects the appalling nature of Neil Foden’s crimes.

“We share the shock and revulsion of our communities towards his actions.

“I want to thank the victims that came forward in this case. Their courage and strength in going through the ordeal of the trial is to be admired by everyone.

“I have no doubt that their actions have saved future generations from being victims at the hands of Neil Foden.

“I encourage anyone who has suffered sexual violence in the past to come forward. We are here to listen. We are here to support you. We will do our best for you.”

Detective Chief Inspector Sophie Chance, senior investigating officer, said: “Neil Foden carried out a targeted and predatory campaign.

“I would like to recognise the work of those in my investigation team and our CPS partners who have worked tirelessly to pursue this case and ensure he has been brought to justice.

“I extend my thanks to colleagues from the SARC who were instrumental in supporting the victims, without who the offending of Neil Foden would not have come to light.”

After the jury returned its verdict in May, Judge Rowlands told the defendant “some of the explanations for your behaviour towards the victims proffered by you beggared belief at times”.

The judge said he had shown himself to be “arrogant” with a “controlling personality” and an “individual used to getting his own way”.

He added: “This defendant was arrogant and couldn’t care less. He was Neil Foden, a man in his view who could do no wrong."

Judge Rowlands also previously criticised Cyngor Gwynedd (Gwynedd Council) for not investigating concerns about Foden meeting girls alone as far back as 2019.

He said: “It does appear to me that when real concerns were raised with the council in 2019 they were dismissed. No note was even taken of anything that was said. We now know he continued to offend. That’s very concerning indeed”.

A spokesperson for Gwynedd Council previously said it was "appalled" by the nature of the crimes committed and announced after Foden's conviction that it would begin to review work practices and establish what lessons could be learnt, with arrangements being made to carry out an independent review.

Speaking to ITV Cymru Wales after the sentencing, Councillor Beca Brown, Gwynedd Council's cabinet member for education, said: "What happened to those girls is absolutely unspeakable. It should never have happened.

"They have been incredibly brave, and I admire their resilience in coming forward and holding this awful man to account.

"The only priority going forward from here is to find out exactly what happened and to find out as soon as possible what lessons can be learnt. I know that sounds like a really loose phrase in these kinds of circumstances, but it is absolutely imperative that every lesson that can be learned is learned.

"That's why I fully welcome the child practice review, which will be starting any day now, with a very experienced, independent chair who is used to leading on high-profile, harrowing and upsetting cases such as this one.

"What we need to do is find out exactly what happened and how we can do everything within our power to ensure that it never, ever happens again.

"We do need to look back at when he came to our attention, in what way he came to our attention, and that's why we really welcome this review.

"I know how people out there feel. I'm a parent myself. I know how parents are going to be feeling. I share their utter horror at what has happened."

Cllr Brown expressed some concern around the remit of the review, saying: "It is concerning that people can only be invited and obviously they won't be giving evidence under oath. If it's decided that we do need an independent, statutory inquiry, I would very much welcome that."

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