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Shannon 'taken on trips to park'
THE man accused of holding Shannon Matthews prisoner in his flat for 24 days told police he took the schoolgirl on trips to the park and bought her toys while the massive police search was on for her.
Michael Donovan also claimed to officers that he twice drove to supermarkets in Batley and Dewsbury with the nine-year-old sitting in the back of his car in her pink coat with the hood up.
On another occasion he said he had taken her for a ride to get some fresh air, the jury heard yesterday at Leeds Crown Court.
Donovan insisted in a prepared statement given to officers after his arrest, when Shannon was found in the base of a divan bed at his Batley Carr home, that he only took her there after being threatened by her mother, Karen Matthews, who wanted to claim reward money.
"She said I was to keep Shannon and look after her and she would report her missing."
"I said I wasn't happy about this and then she threatened if I didn't do it, to get three lads on to me. I knew one of the people she mentioned had stabbed a man and killed him and I was frightened if I didn't do it they would come after me."
Donovan said he had then agreed and Matthews said there was money in it for him but he had told her he did not want money.
"She told me, just do what she said. She said if I told anyone, I would be dead."
He described how Matthews had pulled out a piece of paper from her handbag with the date and time he was to wait for Shannon and on the agreed afternoon she got into his car saying: "Hi Mike, my mum said we're going to a fair tonight."
Donovan said he agreed but then said the fair was closed because of the fog and he would take her to his flat.
That night he said Matthews phoned and he told her Shannon was fine and in bed but needed clothes and food. "She told me to go and buy them myself."
He asked her what was happening and she mentioned the news but he said he had not seen any news because Shannon had been watching cartoons on the television.
"When I later saw the news I was shocked and wanted to take Shannon back but I was frightened of the men."
He continued: "During the time Shannon was with me we stayed mostly in the house although sometimes I would go out and buy her clothes, food, toys, games and DVDs. She said I was kind and generous not like her parents."
"I took her once when it was getting dark to Tesco supermarket in Batley and once to the Asda supermarket at Dewsbury and she was sat in the back of the car in her pink coat with the hood up.
"On about three times I took her to parks in Batley and Birstall and once in the evening again, I took her for a ride in the car to give her a break from the house and get some fresh air."
Donovan said Shannon maintained she was happy living with him but he told her "one day she'd have to go back to her mum".
The jury heard while Shannon was missing Donovan had bought felt tip pens, crayons, a pencil case, a doll, a badminton set and DVDs.
He told officers in his statement that Shannon never saw the news so did not know people were looking for her.
In the second week he said Karen Matthews rang again and said the reward being offered had gone up to 35,000. "She told me if it gets to 50,000 she would ring me and I would know what to do."
He said the plan was to pretend he had found Shannon at Dewsbury Market.
However, on March 14 police forced entry into his flat, found Shannon and arrested him.
He claimed in his statement that four or five officers got hold of him and one knelt on his thigh causing a muscle spasm. He also said he lost consciousness when his head was banged on the wall as they dragged him down the stairs.
Donovan, 40 of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, and Matthews, 33, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, each deny the kidnap and false imprisonment and intending to pervert the course of justice.
The trial continues on Monday.
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'>>'Violent boyfriend wanted me to look like unfit mother'
Olwen Dudgeon
THE mother of Shannon Matthews denied arranging for her daughter to be held prisoner for reward money and claimed her boyfriend had hatched a plan to make her look an unfit mother, the jury heard yesterday.
Karen Matthews gave a number of accounts during interviews to the police and in a prepared statement in April after her remand in custody she denied intending to waste police time by reporting her daughter missing and claimed she had been living in fear of Craig Meehan.
Det Con John Lee read the statement to Leeds Crown Court in which Matthews said Meehan had used violence to her in the past and forced her to have sex with him when she did not want to.
She said shortly before Shannon was discovered Meehan had told her to say she made the arrangements with Michael Donovan to take Shannon when she had not done so.
She had been scared of Meehan because of his violence in the past, "he said he would make my life hell."
Matthews said she had not asked Donovan to take Shannon or threatened him with lads, or spoken to him of reward money.
She said it was Craig who had spoken to Donovan before Shannon went and believed that was what they must have discussed.
"I also feel he has planned this so I would appear to be an unfit mother so the children could be taken away and Craig could do as he wished without them around. He used to play on his X-box and computer and did not want the kids interfering."
She said it was possible Meehan's sister Amanda Hyett and her husband Neil had known.
"I have thought about all that has happened and now feel the three of them have hatched a plan and kept me in the dark."
The jury heard in earlier accounts to the police Matthews had agreed she asked Donovan to look after Shannon to help her leave Meehan. "I just wanted to get him out of my life because I didn't love him any more."
She said she asked him to take Shannon first because she was only nine and she did not want her to be hurt by the relationship breaking up with Meehan and planned to follow with her other children.
She told officers the plan went "pear-shaped" when she did not go through with leaving Meehan and reported Shannon missing to cover her back.
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