Neil Foden: Former headteacher who ‘abused trust’ jailed for ‘shocking’ sex offences against four girls
A former headteacher has been jailed for 17 years for sexual offences against four girls.
Neil Foden, of Old Colwyn, was found guilty in May after a three-week trial at Mold Crown Court in North Wales.
The 66-year-old was previously headteacher at Ysgol Friars school in Bangor, Gwynedd.
He was found guilty of 19 charges in total – including 12 counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of sexual activity with a child in a position of trust.
He was also convicted of one count each 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, possession of indecent photographs of a child for show and sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in jail, before he is released on licence.
Neil Foden. Pic: North Wales Police
‘Dreadful secret’
Sentencing Foden on Monday, Judge Rowlands said Foden was “a man looked up to by many in the education system” but he had “managed to hide a dreadful secret”.
He said Foden “repeatedly [took] advantage of young girls in order to satisfy [his] own depraved, sexual needs”.
“You were in a position of trust as regards the children who were in your care,” he added.
“It is clear that you have no remorse, you’ve not shown an ounce of contrition for what you did and you have no insight into the undoubted very serious harm that you’ve caused both to the individual victims and their families,” he added.
Judge Rowlands said Foden was “a forceful, bullying presence in [his] school – a man who people were afraid of crossing”.
“[His victims’] vulnerability was recognised by you and yet you still deliberately targeted them,” he added.
Foden became headteacher of Ysgol Friars in 1997 and was later drafted in to “oversee a second school”. He also served as a union rep.
‘Evil’
The court heard personal victim statements from the four complainants.
Two were read out in person, while the others were read by the prosecution on the victims’ behalf.
One victim said she “felt lucky that [Foden] has been found guilty and [she] will never have to see him again”.
“Foden has affected how I see and view relationships,” said another.
Another said she doesn’t think she will “ever recover fully from this”.
While a fourth said what Foden had done was “evil”.
“It’s hit me hard and I will never forgive him,” her statement read.
‘Shock and revulsion’
The trial heard he had abused the four complainants, who cannot be identified, over a period of four years.
The jury returned guilty verdicts and cleared Foden of one count of sexual activity with a child on Wednesday 15 May at Mold Crown Court.
Assistant chief constable of North Wales Police, Gareth Evans, said the force shared “the shock and revulsion of our communities towards his actions”.
“I can’t overstate the impact that this has had on our communities, and particularly on young people in the area,” he said.
“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.”
Ceri Ellis-Jones, of the Crown Prosecution Service, 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”.
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After he passed sentence, Judge Rowlands commended the police “for the thoroughness of their investigation”.
He also said he wished “to place on record the court’s admiration for the individual victims and, indeed, their families for their courage in coming forward”.
A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.
Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.
She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.
A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.
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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.
“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.
“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.
In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.
“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”
Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.
A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.
Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.
The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.
One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.
Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.
Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.
Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”
The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.
The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.
A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.
“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”
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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse
The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.
One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.
Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.
UK
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
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