Jury sees photo of Shannon 'hideout'

Last Modified: 20 Nov 2008
Source: ITN

A jury has been shown a photo of the bed Shannon Matthews was allegedly hidden in and an elasticated rope said to have tethered her.

Michael Donovan is on trial with Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews, and both are accused of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. They deny the charges.

Leeds Crown Court was told there would be 'money in it' if Donovan, 40, looked after Shannon, who was aged nine at the time, at his flat in Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, West Yorkshire in February.

The court heard that Donovan told officers he had picked up the youngster after her 33-year-old mother asked him to look after her, but then threatened him.

Donovan made the claims when he was interviewed by detectives after he was arrested in March when Shannon, who had been missing for 24 days, was found in his home.

In his first interview at Halifax police station, he told officers that, in the days before Shannon went missing, Matthews asked him if he could look after one her sons and then Shannon.

He said in a prepared statement: "She then asked me to take care of Shannon and again said there would be money in it for me." Donovan then said Matthews then threatened to "get three lads on to me".

He went on to describe how he picked up Shannon, saying: "Shannon came to my car. She said 'Hi Mike. My mum says we're going to a fair tonight'."

Donovan said he told Shannon the fair trip had to be cancelled because of fog. He told officers Shannon would watch cartoons in his flat.

"I wanted to take Shannon back but I was frightened of the men," he told the officers. He said Shannon described him as "kind".

He described how Shannon mainly stayed in the flat, but he told officers he took her on trips away from the flat, including visiting local shops. He said she would sit in the back of his car with her coat on and hood up. On three occasions he also took her to parks in the local area.

In the second week he said he was rung up by Matthews, who asked how Shannon was. "She said the reward had gone up to £30,000. I thought from the news it was £25k. She told me if it goes up to £50,000 she would ring me again," he told the police.

He told the officers he was frightened and not interested in the reward money.

On the day he was arrested he said that, at 1pm, he heard a knock on the door and saw two men outside. He described how police officers burst into the flat and how he was manhandled, with one officer kneeling on his thigh at one point.

He complained to the officers that he had a medical condition but said he was "dragged out of the house" with his head banging on the wall. Donovan said his head was spinning and when he came round, he said: "Get Karen down here. She's part of this. She wants the reward."

"Karen knew she was staying with me at my address," he told police.

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