Shannon Matthews trial day 2 - Michael Donovan tells police Karen made him do it

Nov 12 2008 By Andrew Jackson

MICHAEL Donovan gave conflicting accounts of what happened to Shannon, the jury was told today.

Donovan claimed that he and Matthews planned the abduction, but said he had acted "under duress" with Matthews telling him what to do.

"The purpose of the agreement between them was to earn money: Donovan to take Shannon and keep her at his flat whilst Karen Matthews reported her as missing," Julian Goose QC told the court.

Click here to listen to Karen Matthews' 999 call to report Shannon missing.

In interview, Donovan claimed Matthews told him to take care of Shannon while she reported her missing. Matthews claimed "there was money in it", Donovan told police.

He told officers he "wasn’t happy about it" but claimed Matthews threatened to set three men on to him if he did not comply with her plan.

He told police he knew one of the men had stabbed and killed a man. "I was frightened they would come after me," he told police.

Mr Goose said the prosecution did not accept Donovan acted under duress.

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