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Missing Shannon 'drugged' in flat Missing Shannon 'drugged' in flat
(40 minutes later)
Missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews had been drugged and subdued in the flat where she was found, a court has heard.Missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews had been drugged and subdued in the flat where she was found, a court has heard.
Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews, and Michael Donovan are on trial over the nine-year-old's disappearance in West Yorkshire in February this year.Shannon's mother, Karen Matthews, and Michael Donovan are on trial over the nine-year-old's disappearance in West Yorkshire in February this year.
Karen Matthews denies kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. They deny kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
Mr Donovan has also denied kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice at Leeds Crown Court. Leeds Crown Court heard the plan had been for Mr Donovan to eventually release Shannon and "find" her in a local market and claim reward money.
Prosecutor Julian Goose, QC, told the court Ms Matthews, 33, had raised the alarm about her daughter's disappearance on 19 February.Prosecutor Julian Goose, QC, told the court Ms Matthews, 33, had raised the alarm about her daughter's disappearance on 19 February.
He said it was part of a "wicked and dishonest plan" to kidnap the girl by her mother and the man whose flat she was found in.He said it was part of a "wicked and dishonest plan" to kidnap the girl by her mother and the man whose flat she was found in.
Ms Matthews was widely seen on television making impassioned pleas for her daughter's safe return - but all the time she knew exactly what had happened to the girl, the court heard.
'Deliberately misleading'
Mr Goose added that Mr Donovan kept Shannon "drugged, subdued and hidden from the public" and bought newspapers which described the extent of the investigation.Mr Goose added that Mr Donovan kept Shannon "drugged, subdued and hidden from the public" and bought newspapers which described the extent of the investigation.
The court heard that their plan had been to claim the reward money for the youngster's return. The court heard that their plan had been to claim the £50,000 reward money put up by the press for the youngster's return.
Mr Donovan was to tell police the plan was to release Shannon in Dewsbury market and for Donovan to "discover her". Mr Donovan later told police the plan was to release Shannon in Dewsbury market and for Donovan to "discover her".
Ms Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and Mr Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, deny the charges.Ms Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and Mr Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, deny the charges.
The disappearance of Shannon, now 10, sparked a massive search operation by West Yorkshire Police which became one of the highest-profile missing person inquiries ever seen in the UK. The disappearance of Shannon, now 10, became one of the highest-profile missing person inquiries ever seen in the UK.
The prosecution said Karen Matthews took part in a 'wicked' plan The prosecution said Karen Matthews took part in a "wicked" plan
Mr Goose said the "overwhelming likelihood is that the reason for the plan was dishonestly to obtain the reward money offered by the press". After tricking Shannon into his car on her way home from a school swimming trip, Mr Donovan kept her in his flat and watched as the search unfolded and the reward money climbed, Mr Goose told the jury.
The court heard that at its height the reward fund had reached £50,000. As the days went by more and more police were drafted in to the search which became the biggest-ever conducted by West Yorkshire Police.
Mr Goose said: "Both defendants stood by and watched the very large police investigation and assistance by many members of the public in the search for Shannon. "They were responding to Karen Matthew's wicked and dishonest lie," he added.
"Karen Matthews made impassioned public pleas for the recovery of her daughter, some of those you will see from television recordings shown on national television." The court heard the cost of the search to the police was almost £3.2m.
He said "other victims" in the case were the friends, neighbours and residents of the Dewsbury Moor estate who helped look for the youngster. At its height, the search involved more than 300 police officers and even more members of the public.
The court heard Shannon went to school as "part of a normal school day" and was looking forward to swimming for the first time with her friends. Within a half-mile radius of where Shannon was last seen, 1,800 premises were searched and extensive house-to-house inquiries were conducted at many more.
Shannon and her friends were taken by bus to the swimming pool. At the end of the trip they returned to school at about 3.10GMT on 19 February. Three-quarters of all the UK's specially-trained police dogs were brought in to assist in the search.
"After the teachers saw Shannon and the other children get off the bus, there was no further sighting of her," Mr Goose said. More than 800 CCTV tapes and computer hard drives were examined and 41 other areas were searched outside the half-mile radius of Moorside Road, including operations in Cumbria and Nottinghamshire.
He told the court that waiting on the route home was Donovan, who was sitting in his Peugeot car. "Karen Matthews even gave deliberately misleading lines of inquiry to the police," Mr Goose told the court.
"Donovan had arranged with Karen Matthews to take Shannon in his car and as Donovan was later to say to the police, he tricked her by telling Shannon he was taking her to the fair." Mr Goose said she even gave officers one address where she said she had been told by a clairvoyant that Shannon might be found.
The case continues.The case continues.