Shannon Matthews’ merciless mum Karen’s new identification, paedo boyfriend and ‘lavish way of life’

When it was realized that little Shannon Matthews had disappeared, nobody imagined that her mom had organized the incident.

On that grey day in February 2008, media from all over the world flocked to a close-knit council property in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, to report the tragic information of the disappearance of a nine-year-old lady, harking back to the disappearance by Madeleine McCann only a yr later. beforehand.

Her determined mom, Karen Matthews, pleaded for her daughter's protected return as the area people rallied to look the world day and night time for her. Her mom made a collection of tearful tv appeals for assist discovering her daughter as West Yorkshire Police launched one of many pressure's greatest ever searches, the Mirror stories.

Nevertheless, 24 days after she was first reported lacking, the younger girl was discovered hiding inside the bottom of a sofa in Michael Donovan's condo, only a mile from Karen's residence. She had been drugged to maintain her quiet and had been placed on an elastic leash to forestall her from escaping it.

Karen, alongside together with her boyfriend's uncle, Michael Donovan, had organized Shannon's kidnapping to say the £50,000 reward for “discovering” her.

That is what occurred to Karen Matthews, who was dubbed Britain's 'worst mom', and the place she is now…

Karen Matthews, 48, was jailed for eight years for the kidnap plot in 2009 and was despatched to Peterborough Jail earlier than being moved to Foston Corridor Jail in Derbyshire.

He stated he “simply missed intercourse and buying” and was visited by his former neighbor Julie Bushby for about two years.

Julie, who organized the seek for lacking Shannon, informed how the twisted Matthews had reworked her look, chopping her hair purple and even dyeing it black on the jail hair salon.

The neighbor additionally described how Matthews usually appeared with black eyes throughout visits, claiming she had been attacked by different inmates no less than six occasions.

She was uncovered behind bars for a get-rich-quick scheme, writing sexually specific letters to male admirers from jail.

New identification

Police described Matthews as “pure evil” after she was discovered responsible of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice. Her boyfriend on the time, Craig Meehan, was not concerned within the plot, however was convicted of possessing 49 indecent photographs of kids on a house pc in a separate incident.

Shannon was then raised by a brand new household with a brand new identification and is now 25 years previous.

After her launch from jail in 2012, Karen Matthews was given a brand new residence and a brand new identification within the south of England and informed she couldn’t go close to Dewsbury or contact Shannon or her different six kids. , who had been taken into care.

Regardless of being convicted of kidnapping Shannon and serving solely 4 years of an eight-year sentence, Matthews confirmed little regret for the crime.

In 2018, he spoke to the Mirror in an unpaid interview and nonetheless insisted he knew nothing of the kidnapping plot that shocked the nation a decade earlier.

The previous manufacturing unit cleaner claimed her notoriety prevented her from getting a job, that means she needed to survive on advantages of £25 per week. Nevertheless, Karen finally received a job as a caregiver for an aged couple, however she was fired in June 2019 after stories that her spouse turned suspicious of her friendship together with her husband. .

Talking for the primary time in an interview with The Mirror in 2018, she stated she had “given up on males”, would by no means marry and was attempting to get her life again on observe.

A troubled love life

Sources near Matthews claimed that she had begun concentrating on older males after leaving jail, posting profiles on web sites of girls searching for monetary preparations with males.

Then, in Could 2018, she discovered Eric Anderson, a 72-year-old sugar daddy, who showered her with cash and items to fund a lavish way of life. Eric denied the connection was sexual, saying: “It’s my Christian responsibility to elucidate what love is all about.”

Over the Christmas interval in 2019, Matthews turned engaged to handyman Paul Saunders, and was additionally reported to have discovered faith, misplaced weight and even deliberate to make use of a surrogate mom to have a child together with her accomplice.

However they quickly broke up after information emerged about their background. Saunders had been sentenced to 5 years in jail in 2010 for sexually abusing a 15-year-old lady.

What occurred to Donovan?

Craig Meehan was sentenced to 20 weeks in jail, however was launched the identical day as a result of he had spent extra time on remand than his sentence. The previous fishmonger, now 30 years previous and with a brand new title, didn’t take part within the false kidnapping, however was jailed for indecent photographs of minors that the brokers had discovered on his pc.

In the meantime, Michael Donovan, sentenced to eight years however launched early, was photographed by Sunday Mirror reporters outdoors a restaurant watching kids taking part in close by in 2012.

He had spent six hours a day there and police lastly detained him after a request from parole officers. Donovan was later returned to jail and it’s unknown what occurred to him after that.

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