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Kidnap accused 'hid Shannon in flat out of fear'
THE man accused of kidnapping Shannon Matthews denied yesterday that he was a "willing" member of the plot and was lying when he said he hid her because of threats made to him.
Michael Donovan has told the jury at Leeds Crown Court he dared not tell police he had Shannon because of mother Karen Matthews threatening him with three lads.
Julian Goose QC suggested Donovan was now portraying himself as quietly spoken, weak, rather fragile and helpless but CCTV recordings of him out and about during the 24 days he had Shannon showed him acting like any other member of the public.
He showed the jury footage of Donovan out shopping in supermarkets, buying petrol and collecting prescriptions on occasions when he claimed to have Shannon in the back of his car.
"You were not looking behind you for someone threatening you," said Mr Goose. "I was frightened," said Donovan.
Mr Goose suggested he was making the threats up. "I also suggest Shannon was not in the car at any of those times, she was left locked in the flat wasn't she." Donovan replied: "No".
On February 22, three days after Shannon was reported missing, Donovan was shown walking in Church Street, Dewsbury. He claims Shannon was waiting in the car nearby.
"If you were scared because of the threats that you had to stick to the plan, why risk taking her out in the car so she could be found and ruin the plan?" asked Mr Goose.
Donovan said Shannon was also in the back of his car on February 28 when he went into a Tesco at Batley and on February 29 when he shopped at Asda in Dewsbury. He said Shannon had stayed in the car because she "didn't want to come in".
Mr Goose said: "Ten days into this national search for her I suggest she was still in the flat, locked in, wasn't she."
"No," said Donovan
Mr Goose said: "It is untrue isn't it that you were frightened or were threatened. You were a willing person in this plan with Karen Matthews weren't you."
Donovan said: "No, I was frightened."
Donovan, 40 of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr and Matthews, 33 of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, both deny kidnap and false imprisonment and acts intended to pervert justice. The prosecution claim they hatched a plan to get reward money.
Earlier Donovan denied under cross-examination by Frances Oldham QC, for Matthews, that he had pushed Shannon into his car on the day he took her.
He agreed that among letters and pictures found in his flat was a note written by the nine-year-old to one of his daughters with a picture of Blackpool. But he said the schoolgirl had made them of "her own free will" .
The letter said: "Dear John, when me and my dad go to Blackpool, we're going to take some pictures of Blackpool seaside and a bus. I love you, I will miss you, so will my dad. Love Shannon and Dad."
Donovan said Shannon was referring to Craig Meehan when she wrote "Dad" and he did not know who John was. He denied planning to take her to Blackpool.
In another letter she said: "I'm missing you so much. I'll ask Mike if he will take me to see you, OK? I love you so much, so is Mike. Love Shannon. I love you."
While in a second note she had written: "I need to take my DVDs home, I need to take my clothes home, I need to take my Bratz shoe home, I need to take my stuff home, OK?"
"Was Shannon asking you to take her home during the time she was with you?" asked Mr Goose. "No," said Donovan.
Mr Goose said: "And did you refuse to take her home because she was being held captive in your flat?" He replied: "No".
The trial continues.
More coverage:
Day 10: Kidnap accused 'hid Shannon in flat out of fear'>>
Day nine: Shannon accused faced previous charge of abduction>>
Day eight: Shannon accused too poorly to attend trial>>
Day seven: Shannon taken on trips to park>>
Day six: Shannon mother 'told friends she knew who took her daughter'>>
Day five: Shannon 'frightened and crying when we found her'>>
Day three: 'Creepy' Shannon kidnap accused attacked in prison>>
Day two: Shannon mother 'joked about sex with policeman' during search>>
Day one: Shannon 'drugged and bound in 50,000 fraud plot'>>
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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