Shannon Matthews trial day 2 - Shannon was drugged and tied up in 24 day ordeal

Nov 12 2008 By Andrew Jackson

This is the evidence from Wednesday morning's proceedings. Check back regularly to keep up with the latest developments.

New evidence will be posted at the end of the story.

Schoolgirl Shannon Matthews was "drugged to subdue her" as part of a "dishonest and wicked plan" to kidnap her by her mother and the man in whose flat she was found, a jury heard today.

Prosecutor Julian Goose QC told Leeds Crown Court that Karen Matthews, 33, raised the alarm about her daughter’s disappearance on February 19.

But he said: "The 999 call was part of a dishonest and we say wicked plan by Michael Donovan and Karen Matthews. Shannon was an innocent victim of the plan.

"She was kidnapped and falsely imprisoned in the flat where Donovan lived.

"She was drugged to subdue her during the period of her captivity."

Matthews, 33, sat in the dock alongside Donovan, 40, as Mr Goose outlined the case against them.

Both have gone on trial charged with the kidnap and false imprisonment of Shannon, who was nine at the time.

Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, have already pleaded not guilty to these charges and have also denied perverting the course of justice.

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 Britain.

She was found 24 days later.

Mr Goose told the court the ``overwhelming likelihood is that the reason for the plan was dishonestly to obtain the reward money offered by the press''.

The court heard that at its height the money was up to £50,000.