A ‘evil’ paedophile headteacher who used younger women to fulfill his ‘perverted wishes’ has been jailed for 17 years.
Neil Foden, one of the crucial highly effective and well-known headteachers in north Wales, was arrested in September 2023 whereas he was working at a faculty.
The 66-year-old was then convicted following a trial in Could of 19 offences involving the abuse of 4 women between 2019 and 2023.
Issues about his conduct with one of many victims was raised by academics in 2019, however these weren’t investigated by the training authorities.
It was a choice one mother or father described as ‘unforgivable’ saying a full investigation ‘might have stopped it’.
On the sentencing at Mildew Crown Court docket at present, Choose Rhys Rowlands stated Foden was ‘decided’ to fulfill his perverted fetish wishes.
Headteacher Neil Foden, 66, who used younger women to fulfill his ‘perverted wishes’ has been jailed for 17 years
A bodycame captured the second Foden was arrested in September 2023 whereas he was working at a faculty
Following his arrest, Foden gave no remark all through his police interviews whereas in custody
He described Foden as a ‘domineering’ and ‘bombastic’ character who was appeared as much as by many, however was a ‘man who managed to cover a dreadful secret, an appalling flaw in your character, that being your sexual obsession with younger teenage women’.
The decide stated: ‘Your behaviour was born out of your conceited sense of your self-worth, such that you just believed nobody would stand as much as you.’
‘It’s clear that you haven’t any regret. You haven’t proven an oz. of contrition for what you probably did and you haven’t any perception into the undoubted very critical hurt you will have prompted each to particular person victims and to their households.’
He was as soon as one of the crucial highly effective academics in north Wales – heading up colleges and a senior determine in a instructing union. He had a fame as an authoritarian who introduced outcomes – a benevolent dictator with a extra caring aspect alongside the strictly imposed guidelines.
However in actuality Neil Foden was a bully, terrorising pupils and employees, utilizing his place of energy to silence those that dared to problem him.
Foden, of Outdated Colwyn, entered instructing in 1979 when he was in his 20s. He made fast progress and joined Ysgol Friars in Bangor as deputy head in 1989.
In 1996 he grew to become headteacher at Friars, one of the crucial excessive profile colleges in north west Wales, with round 1,200 pupils.
The decide described Foden as a ‘domineering’ and ‘bombastic’ character who was appeared as much as by many, however was a ‘man who managed to cover a dreadful secret, an appalling flaw in your character, that being your sexual obsession with younger teenage women’
Neil Foden, a former Nationwide Union of Lecturers official in Wales, arriving at Mildew Crown Court docket on April 22, 2024
He had a fame for strictly upholding the foundations, making him a marmite character who divided opinions. As well as he rose to turn into an government member for Wales within the Nationwide Union of Lecturers, which later merged with one other union to turn into the Nationwide Training Union.
This cemented his energy base within the higher echelons of the instructing occupation. It made him presumably probably the most excessive profile headteacher in North Wales. He was typically known as upon to offer feedback within the media, together with speaking about sexual harassment at colleges in 2021.
His empire was prolonged when he was additionally appointed strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle secondary faculty in Penygroes.
Two of Foden’s 4 victims selected to face him in courtroom with out screens as they learn statements detailing the influence of the abuse on them.
One stated: ‘He exploited each my physique and thoughts and I really feel drained and consistently sick because of this.’
One other sufferer stated: ‘I really feel that when he made me go to courtroom to offer my proof he wished to harm me for reporting him and, as an alternative of justice, he wished revenge.’
In an announcement which was learn to the courtroom, one other of the women abused by Foden stated: ‘I believed him when he stated he beloved me and I used to be the one one he wished.’
Foden had a fame for strictly upholding the foundations, making him a marmite character who divided opinions
Foden’s empire was prolonged when he was additionally appointed strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle (pictured) secondary faculty in Penygroes
She added: ‘What Mr Foden has achieved is evil. It is hit me laborious and I will by no means forgive him.’
Foden shook his head at some factors as sufferer statements had been learn however confirmed no emotion as he was sentenced.
The jury of seven girls and 5 males delivered their verdicts on Foden, of Gwynant, Outdated Colwyn, after a three-week trial.
He was additionally ordered to pay £4,000 in the direction of prosecution prices.
Throughout his trial, the courtroom was proven a video of the defendant holding the hand of one of many women, youngster A, as she sat at the back of his automobile, whereas he was within the driver’s seat.
Foden, who was beforehand an government member for the Nationwide Training Union, was arrested after youngster A confirmed an grownup a photograph of them collectively and screenshots of messages about oral intercourse.
The courtroom heard he would choose her up in his automobile and drive them to secluded areas and sexually abuse her.
Foden warned the lady to not inform anybody what they did, telling her she should ‘take it to the grave’, based on a BBC documentary about his crimes which airs at 10.50pm tonight.
Police discovered she had googled phrases resembling ‘I believe I am being sexually groomed, what do I do?’ and ‘the way to inform your dad and mom you had been groomed’.
One other complainant, youngster E, instructed police she referred to Foden as Mr P, for excellent, whereas he known as her ‘his little intercourse toy’.
She additionally described assembly the defendant in his BMW automobile, which had personalised quantity plates, and driving to distant lay-bys and nation lanes ‘for him to have a play with me’.
After Foden was arrested, police later discovered a pair of purple and black lace handcuffs within the boot of his automobile which had DNA current matching Foden and the teen.
After Foden was arrested, police later discovered a pair of purple and black lace handcuffs within the boot of his automobile which had DNA current matching Foden and the teen
Foden was convicted of pinching the thigh of kid B and placing his hand below her clothes and of putting his fingers on the high of kid C’s interior thighs.
All of his victims had been described as susceptible in a technique or one other, and had been focused by him because of this.
Duncan Bould, defending, stated Foden had contributed in a optimistic solution to the lives of others throughout his profession as a instructor and a trades union consultant.
He stated: ‘All of these achievements at the moment are misplaced to him due to his personal behaviour, as is his fame.’
There have been warnings about his behaviour although.
There was a misplaced employment tribunal – the place a reference for a instructor talked about the instructor had been investigated for malpractice – however did not add that he’d been cleared. On this Foden was described as ‘autocratic’ by the employment tribunal decide.
He was discovered responsible of unacceptable skilled conduct in 2020. The Training Workforce Council panel heard allegations in opposition to Foden from three members of employees between April 2014 and October 2016.
On the time, the BBC reported Foden’s health to practise listening to was instructed he ‘singled out’ a instructor by blaming him for the cancellation of a faculty journey in 2014.
The listening to was instructed the pinnacle of Ysgol Friars in Bangor, Gwynedd, ‘ought to have appreciated the necessity for an unbiased and balanced investigation’ earlier than beginning disciplinary proceedings. 4 different allegations weren’t proved.
Foden then hit the headlines in 2021 when it emerged the prepare dinner at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle had been ‘instructed to not give meals to any youngster’ in a letter written by him if faculty dinner money owed weren’t cleared, even when they owed a penny.
Manchester United footballer and college meals campaigner Marcus Rashford criticised Foden’s strict coverage on the time and stated ‘for a lot of youngsters, lunch at college is the one meal they’re going to get’.
Foden then hit the headlines in 2021 when it emerged the prepare dinner at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle had been ‘instructed to not give meals to any youngster’ in a letter written by him if faculty dinner money owed weren’t cleared, even when they owed a penny
Manchester United footballer and college meals campaigner Marcus Rashford (pictured receiving his MBE for providers to susceptible youngsters in 2021) criticised Foden’s strict coverage on the time and stated ‘for a lot of youngsters, lunch at college is the one meal they’re going to get’
At his trial jurors had been instructed a priority had been raised in 2019 with the native authority’s former Director of Training Garem Jackson about Neil Foden assembly youngsters alone however no information of the assembly had been saved.
The council didn’t examine the matter when raised in 2019.
Mr Jackson resigned from his submit in 2023 for ‘private causes’. The native authority has since introduced an unbiased overview will happen to ascertain ‘what classes could be learnt’.
In September 2023 Foden’s sick crimes lastly caught up with him when he was arrested by police at college.
A bodycam captured the second he was arrested, exhibiting a police officer telling him: ‘Mr Foden, sadly I have to arrest you on suspicion of sexual touching a baby and sexual communications with a baby.’
Foden replied: ‘Proper.’
Then the police officer learn him his rights, informing him: ‘You don’t have to say something however it could hurt your defence if you don’t point out one thing, when questioned, which you later depend on in courtroom.’
Foden stated: ‘Okay.’
He was subsequently charged with 20 offences in opposition to 5 women.
In Could this 12 months after a trial he was discovered responsible of 19 of these offences, in opposition to 4 women.
On the sentencing at Mildew Crown Court docket (pictured) at present, Choose Rhys Rowlands stated Foden was ‘decided’ to fulfill his perverted wishes
Det Con Jemma Jones, of North Wales Police, was working as a detective sergeant in September 2023 when she was introduced into the investigation.
She was instructed by colleagues a sufferer had made allegations that morning in regards to the well-known head instructor.
She stated in a brand new BBC documentary: ‘A toddler had made disclosures that she’d been, of their phrases, in a romantic relationship with Neil Foden.’
She stated the kid making the allegations, who got here to be generally known as Little one A, had proven the police textual content messages associated to sexual acts between her and Foden.
The kid additionally confirmed an grownup a photograph of herself with Foden in his automobile. When he was arrested and brought into custody, Foden gave no remark all through his police interviews.
One mother or father, who spoke to the BBC anonymously to guard the id of his daughter, stated he had not identified in regards to the 2019 considerations which had been raised and approached Foden for assist after that date.
He believes that if the council had investigated, Foden’s offending might have been stopped.
‘That would have stopped it,’ he stated.
‘That is the important thing issue. Nothing modified in his behaviour.’
The person’s daughter ended up having one-to-one classes with Foden over quite a lot of months. Though nothing occurred, the daddy worries Foden was planning to groom his daughter.
The chair and vice-chair of the present board of governors of Gwynedd council stood down within the wake of the trial.
Councillor Beca Brown, the council’s cupboard member for training, stated after the sentencing it was ‘clear’ the victims had been ‘let down’ and stated she would welcome a public inquiry.
She stated: ‘Regardless of the final result of the overview that’s underway, on the centre of all this are younger women who’ve suffered a horrific expertise – and what occurred to them ought to by no means occur once more.
‘I’m wanting to collaborate with the overview and would welcome any early suggestions or concepts of classes to be discovered going ahead from right here.
‘I welcome the appointment of the unbiased chair and investigators, who’re very skilled on this space, and I need the remit of the overview to be broad and thorough with proof offered by all as wanted.’
Foden, of Outdated Colwyn, North Wales, was convicted of 12 counts of sexual exercise with a baby, two counts of sexual exercise with a baby ready of belief, and one rely every of inflicting or inciting youngster sexual exercise, making an attempt to rearrange the fee of a kid intercourse offence, sexual communication with a baby, possession of indecent pictures of a kid and sexual assault of a kid.
He was cleared of 1 rely of sexual exercise with a baby, the place he was alleged to have touched the underside of kid D.
