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Shannon mother 'said plan failed' | Shannon mother 'said plan failed' |
(30 minutes later) | |
Shannon Matthews's mother said she reported her daughter missing when a plan to move in with co-accused Michael Donovan went wrong, a jury heard. | Shannon Matthews's mother said she reported her daughter missing when a plan to move in with co-accused Michael Donovan went wrong, a jury heard. |
Karen Matthews's neighbour Natalie Brown said she made the admission in a car with a police officer present three weeks after her daughter was found. | Karen Matthews's neighbour Natalie Brown said she made the admission in a car with a police officer present three weeks after her daughter was found. |
Mrs Brown said the detective then told Ms Matthews she would be arrested. | Mrs Brown said the detective then told Ms Matthews she would be arrested. |
Ms Matthews, 33, of Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, and Mr Donovan, 40, deny kidnap and false imprisonment. | Ms Matthews, 33, of Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, and Mr Donovan, 40, deny kidnap and false imprisonment. |
Mrs Brown told Leeds Crown Court: "She was in floods of tears, shaking, really scared." | |
'Bags packed' | |
Another neighbour who was in the car, Julie Bushby, told the court that Ms Matthews said she was planning to leave her partner Craig Meehan. | |
She told the jury: "She said she's packed her bags ready to leave him and couldn't go through with it. | |
"She was crying, sobbing really. She was blaming everybody else but herself." | |
Mrs Bushby said Ms Matthews told how she had asked Mr Donovan to look after Shannon for a few days "until she'd got the strength to leave Craig". | |
Shannon Matthews disappeared for 24 days in February | |
Earlier the jury was read transcripts from interviews Ms Matthews gave to the police under caution after Shannon was found but before she was arrested. | Earlier the jury was read transcripts from interviews Ms Matthews gave to the police under caution after Shannon was found but before she was arrested. |
She told officers that Mr Donovan had asked her and her children to go and live with him after she had an argument with Mr Meehan last December. | |
Ms Matthews said she declined the offer. | Ms Matthews said she declined the offer. |
Leeds Crown Court heard she told police: "That's the reason he's done this. I could have protected her from him". | Leeds Crown Court heard she told police: "That's the reason he's done this. I could have protected her from him". |
She said she thought Mr Donovan looked like "a nasty piece of work" when she first met him and they had "never been close". | She said she thought Mr Donovan looked like "a nasty piece of work" when she first met him and they had "never been close". |
Ms Matthews was asked directly if she knew where her daughter was all along. | Ms Matthews was asked directly if she knew where her daughter was all along. |
She told the detectives: "I swear on my life I did not. | She told the detectives: "I swear on my life I did not. |
"If I knew where she was I would have gone and grabbed her myself." | "If I knew where she was I would have gone and grabbed her myself." |
On Tuesday the trial heard that nine-year-old Shannon was found hidden under a bed by police at Mr Donovan's flat in Batley Carr, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. | On Tuesday the trial heard that nine-year-old Shannon was found hidden under a bed by police at Mr Donovan's flat in Batley Carr, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. |
The prosecution claim Ms Matthews and Mr Donovan planned the kidnap of Shannon together so they could claim £50,000 of reward money. | The prosecution claim Ms Matthews and Mr Donovan planned the kidnap of Shannon together so they could claim £50,000 of reward money. |
Ms Matthews and Mr Donovan, also deny perverting the course of justice. | Ms Matthews and Mr Donovan, also deny perverting the course of justice. |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |