Neil Foden: Teen girl terrified to tell of head teacher abuse - court

A teacher who was told about alleged sexual abuse by a Gwynedd head teacher said the girl who opened up to her was "terrified".

Mold Crown Court also heard the woman had been "shocked" by what the teen, known as Child A, said about Neil Foden.

Mr Foden, 66, who was previously head of Ysgol Friars in Bangor and the strategic head of Ysgol Dyfryn Nantlle, is accused of preying on five youngsters between 2019-2023.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

"[Child A] said, 'I don't know how to say it, can I show you something on my phone'?" said the teacher, adding that the girl had been "hyperventilating".

"She showed me a picture and it was her and Neil Foden in his car - she was leaning into him like you would with a partner."

She went on to explain how Child A then pulled a shirt out of a bag, said it was Mr Foden's, and handed it over.

The teacher said Child A then told her about WhatsApp messages which had been exchanged between her and Mr Foden.

Child A showed her that she had his number stored in her phone under the pseudonym Nick Jones, before going on to tell her about hugging, kissing and sexual touching that had taken place over a six month period.

The teacher told the court: "She said she didn't want him to, she wasn't happy but he just kept on."

She added that the teenager then handed over her phone and her pass code before it was reported to Gwynedd Social Services and the police.

The jury also heard from a friend of Child A who said she confided in him about what had been happening to her.

In a police video interview shown to the court he said he had been suspicious about the relationship between her and Mr Foden.

He said that she told him it had been going on for about six months and had started with him taking hold of her hands and shoulders before progressing to him "complimenting her body".

She told him they had "kissed a lot" and that Mr Foden would carry out sexual acts on her, usually in his car.

She also told him they would text a lot and that he sent her messages about sex acts he would act out, and that he would take her to a hotel one day.

The boy said he had not discussed what he had been told with anyone but had urged her to tell an adult.

A second friend of Child A said she had showed her a picture of her in Mr Foden's car, her with her head against his chest and his arm around her.

Child A was said to have told her that Mr Foden would pick her up in his car and drive about an hour away.

"When she was telling me she wasn't crying but was upset and had watery eyes," she said.

The court later heard from a relative of Child A, who said she sometimes didn't want to go to school or would call asking her if she could go home.

One day, she explained, she had a call saying Child A had gone to the police station and she was to meet her there.

"I was told she had been groomed," she said, adding that it was not until the next day that Child A told her what had been happening.

"She was glad she got it off her chest, she was hurting," she said.

"She felt sad and dirty."

The court was also shown videos and stills of Child A taken on her phone, one of which showed red marks on her neck where she said Foden had been kissing her.

The trial continues.