Karen Matthews became one of the most hated women in Britain when it was revealed she had known where her missing daughter Shannon was all along – we take a look at her odd love match
Shannon Matthews was just nine years old when she was reported missing.
The search for the schoolgirl from Dewsbury, West Yorks who was last seen on February 19, 2008, sparked a huge police investigation. The tight knit community in the town’s Moorside Estate rallied round Shannon’s mother Karen Matthews, who tearfully pleaded to the cameras: “Let Shannon go”.
But Matthews’ distraught appearance was a facade – the evil mum had planned Shannon’s kidnapping with Michael Donovan, the uncle of her then partner Craig Meehan. The sick plot was a ruse to make money from the publicity but instead, Matthews was found out and later jailed for eight years for kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
READ MORE: Shannon Matthews detective reveals ‘remorseless’ Karen’s chilling request days after arrest
Now a new documentary has taken a deep dive into one of the most high-profile police investigations in recent history, with startling revelations emerging about key players in the case. When Shannon went missing her mother, then 32, was living with Meehan, 22 and her police liaison officer found their relationship concerning.
“There were times that I was concerned for Karen,” said retired detective Christine Freeman. “I think it wasn’t easy for her with Craig, he was like having another child but also he was quite controlling of her. She never seemed able able to stand up and say what she wanted to do.”
Journalist Richard Edwards was a local reporter on the Yorkshire Evening Post when the news broke of Shannon’s disappearance. He was invited into the home of Matthews and described her relationship with Meehan as “awkward”.
“The relationship between Craig and Karen, it was not one of obvious warmth or intimacy in any way,” he said. “They appeared to be quite awkward around each other, it was almost like two unusual people who just happened to find themselves in each other’s orbit for reasons unknown. They didn’t even appear to really like each other.”
Meehan proposed to Matthews following her arrest. He was not involved in Shannon’s kidnapping and never charged with any offence relating to her.
The ex-supermarket fishmonger was later convicted for possessing images of child abuse and sentenced to 20 weeks in jail. It was reported this week he had been driven out of his home in Huddersfield, West Yorks, after graffiti was sprayed on the exterior wall calling him a paedophile.
Matthews was released from prison in 2012 after serving half of her sentence. Donovan, who was also jailed for eight years his part in the twisted kidnap plot, died last year in hospital, aged 54.
The Hunt for Shannon Matthews will be available on Prime Video in The UK & Ireland from Sunday, August 17