Sponsored by
Shannon kidnap accused faced previous charge of abduction
THE man accused of kidnapping Shannon Matthews denied yesterday he planned to take her to Blackpool where he had taken his own daughter when he was alleged to have abducted her.
Michael Donovan told the jury at Leeds Crown Court he was charged with abducting one of his two daughters in 2006 from outside a school after she was no longer living with him, but the charge was dropped when the case got to court last year.
He said he had taken her to Blackpool because that was where she wanted to go and denied under cross-examination by Frances Oldham QC, defending his co-accused Shannon's mother Karen Matthews, that he mentioned to a shop assistant going to Blackpool with "his lad" while the hunt was on for Shannon.
She asked him if 600 in cash found on him when he was arrested after Shannon was found in his flat, was for a trip to Blackpool that weekend.
"No," he replied.
Earlier Donovan told the jury he only took Shannon to his home in Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, after being threatened into doing it by Matthews, who at the time was living with his nephew Craig Meehan.
He said at first he did not want to agree, adding: "Then she started mentioning these three lads. She told me these three lads would come and do my car in, do my flat in and do me in."
He told his counsel Alan Conrad QC he understood that to mean "to kill me."
Donovan, 40, and Matthews, 33 of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, each deny the kidnap and false imprisonment of Shannon and doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice.
Giving evidence three days after having surgery to insert plates into his broken jaw following an assault in prison, Donovan was frequently asked to speak up because the jury could not hear.
He said he was flagged down in his car by Matthews in January who asked to meet him to discuss a problem. "She asked me if I could loan her some money, a huge amount, 20,000."
He said he did not have such money and would not have loaned it to her if he had, but arranged to meet at a caf some days later in Dewsbury.
"At that time she said she had a plan to get money," he continued.
He said Matthews pulled out a piece of A4 paper from her handbag with details on.
"She was trying to explain it all out to me about me looking after Shannon and then she would try to get a big reward."
He said Matthews told him she would report Shannon missing.
"She didn't say how long it was going to be. She said if it got to 50,000 she had put in the note what I was to do." That was to pretend to find her at Dewsbury market.
He only agreed after he was threatened. Matthews had told him one of the three lads had stabbed and killed someone before. "I were right frightened."
On February 19 he waited as told at the end of Moorside Road and Shannon came to his car saying her mother had said he was taking her to a fair.
He drove around and told her they could not go to the fair because of fog and took her to his flat where Shannon said she was expecting to stay. He anticipated Matthews would call that night but she did not.
However the next day she rang on his sister Alice Meehan's phone. He asked about clothes and toys for Shannon and was told to buy them himself. She did not want to speak to Shannon, saying: "Stick to the plan Mike."
When he saw on the news that Shannon had been reported missing: "I was really shocked and thought she's really gone through with it."
He said Shannon was happy while staying with him and said it was better than home because her mother and Craig argued.
He bought her dresses, leggings, socks and shoes. She ate pizzas and takeaways, and watched TV and DVDs, particularly enjoying Disney films.
She knew where the spare keys were if he was out and he denied using an elastic strap found attached to a beam in his loft to restrain her in any way, saying it was a surprise to him when it was found.
He said Shannon went and hid when the police arrived at the flat on March 14 saying: "Oh No, I don't want the police." He had gone looking for her and was lying on the floor by the bed when police "piled in on top of me".
He denied under cross-examination by Mrs Oldham that it was he who cut the hiding place under his divan bed and had told Shannon to get in it.
She said his own sister Maria Harper had described him as a fantasist who liked telling stories and suggested he was telling more stories to the jury with his account of events.
"I suggest you are very good at play acting, Mr Donovan, when it suits you, aren't you?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
The trial continues.
More coverage:
Day nine: Girl given medication because she got car sick, court told>>
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'>>
Email to a friend
Print this page- Leeds lose Ward to Palace: Is there anyone they can afford now?
- Sheffield Wednesday leaving it late to hijack Leeds United over Ward
- As Snodgrass dithers over Leeds, Warnock throws a lifeline
- Ball is in Leeds United’s court over contract - Snodgrass
- Police turning blind eye to Asian voter fraud, says MP
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
