AN APPEAL was lodged, but subsequently withdrawn, to have paedophile ex-Bangor headteacher Neil Foden’s 17-year prison sentence increased.
Foden, 67, formerly of Ysgol Friars and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, was jailed in July after being convicted after trial of 19 sexual offences involving four child victims.
But the Attorney General’s office received a request to review his sentence under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
If the Attorney General or Solicitor General agrees that a Crown Court prison sentence is too lenient, they can refer it to the Court of Appeal to consider increasing it.
In Foden’s case, an application was made, then referred by the Attorney General’s office to the Court of Appeal on July 29, but then withdrawn following further information on August 8.
The Attorney General’s office said it does not disclose who makes applications for sentence reviews under the ULS scheme.
Sentence review appeals under the ULS scheme can only be made within 28 days of the sentencing hearing, meaning the deadline has now passed for another request to be made for Foden’s jail term to be reconsidered.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s office said: “On occasion, some references are withdrawn where law officers conclude that sentences do not meet the criteria for a reference on receipt of further information.
“There is a narrow criteria for a successful ULS reference, such as the making of gross errors in the sentencing exercise.”
Sentencing Foden at Mold Crown Court, Judge Rhys Rowlands barred him from working with children or vulnerable individuals, and made him subject to sex offenders register notification requirements, for life.
Foden was also handed a lifelong sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Rowlands told Foden that his behaviour was "cynical" and "depraved", and that warranted “significant punishment”.
He labelled Foden a "bully”, and said the course of events during his trial depicted him as "forceful" and "extremely confident in his own ability", who believed he could "get away with pretty much anything", and who "cared little for the opinions of others".
Last month, a BBC Wales Investigates programme revealed allegations of abuse from Foden from as far back as 1979.
The programme heard from three women who said they, too, were abused by Foden - speaking publicly for the first time, they described being targeted by him.
Following the conclusion of criminal proceedings, the North Wales Safeguarding Board has started a Child Practice Review, with which Gwynedd Council said it is co-operating “fully”.
Gwynedd Council’s leader, Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, stepped down from the role last month after he initially refused to apologise to Foden’s victims.
Cllr Siencyn later said he was sorry for “all those who suffered” at Foden’s hands.
Four members of Gwynedd Council’s cabinet also quit last month, citing “fundamental differences between us and the leadership regarding how to respond to what Foden did and what is the best way to go about finding out exactly what went wrong”.
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