Mother accused of kidnapping

The mother of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews, who went missing for 24 days earlier this year, has been charged with her kidnap and false imprisonment, a court heard yesterday.

Karen Matthews, 32, had previously been accused of perverting the course of justice and child neglect.

The extra charges were revealed yesterday during a plea hearing at Leeds Crown Court.

Matthews appeared in court with Michael Donovan, 40, who is already charged with nine-year-old Shannon’s kidnap and false imprisonment.

He is also charged with perverting the course of justice, the court heard.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.

No plea was entered for the child neglect charge.

During the 45-minute hearing, Donovan and Matthews did not look at each other and sat staring straight ahead.

It is the first time the pair have appeared side by side in the dock.

Three female dock officers attended and the pair were separated in the dock by an empty chair.

Matthews folded her arms throughout and looked straight ahead while lawyers discussed legal matters.

Donovan was hunched forward throughout the hearing.

As the court clerk read out the charges, Donovan was barely audible at times as he pleaded not guilty, while Matthews could be clearly heard.

Shannon disappeared on February 19 and was eventually discovered less than a mile from her home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, 24 days after she went missing.

Donovan, of Dewsbury, was arrested on March 14 after the schoolgirl was found in nearby Batley Carr.

Formerly known as Paul Drake, he is the uncle of Shannon’s stepfather, Craig Meehan.

Shannon, a Westmoor Junior School pupil, vanished after going on a swimming trip.

Police mounted a mass- ive investigation invol- ving hundreds of officers and a team of 60 det- ectives to try to find her.

She was eventually found in a drawer of a bed.

Matthews and Donovan were remanded back into custody until their trial on November 11.