Neil Foden: Girl initially told police she was not abused by head teacher

A girl allegedly abused by a head teacher tried to protect him by telling police their relationship was not sexual, a court has heard.

Neil Foden, 66, is accused of preying on five girls over a four-year period.

He was head of Ysgol Friars, in Bangor, and strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle secondary school in Gwynedd.

Foden, from Old Colwyn, Conwy, denies 20 charges including 13 of sexual activity with a child.

The girl, known as Child E, told the jury at Mold Crown Court: "I was trying to protect him."

She explained how she "panicked" after reading on social media that Mr Foden had been arrested.

In her statement to the police soon after, she told detectives that Mr Foden "never made me feel uncomfortable or been inappropriate towards me".

But breaking down in tears, Child E told the court on Monday: "I left a lot out… I was trying to protect him. I was desperate for it not to be happening."

Mr Foden's defence barrister Duncan Bould suggested to her it was "not true" that she had regular sexual encounters with Mr Foden.

She denied that, agreeing however that she had not told anyone about it at the time.

"I couldn't. It wasn't a relationship that was classed as acceptable," she told the court.

She went on to say that she and Mr Foden would also talk about their personal lives, and she agreed they had taken many trips together, staying in numerous hotels.

She said she told her family she was somewhere else when she went away with Mr Foden.

Mr Bould also asked her about a police video interview played to the court last week.

In it she told detectives Mr Foden had stopped his car in a rural location to "have a play" with her.

Mr Bould suggested "there was no sexual activity", and whether instead that Mr Foden "was looking for a place to have a walk?"

"Believe what you want to believe," she replied.

On re-examination, she was asked by the prosecution barrister, John Philpotts, if it was true what she had said about the "sexual things" that allegedly occurred.

"Yes," she said, addressing the jury. "It's true."

The girl's mother told the court her daughter was "distraught" after learning about Mr Foden's arrest.

She said her daughter told her Mr Foden "had done things to her".

She had not asked for details from her daughter, but had "consoled her," she said.

She added that she came to believe that occasions when her daughter told her she was staying with friends or family were when she had actually been with Mr Foden.

The court heard Child E told another male adult about the alleged sexual relationship, telling him that she loved Mr Foden.

But she told him she "wanted to protect other young people" and consented to the matter being reported.

"She was very upset," he said.

The trial continues.