Shannon Matthews trial Day 4: Donovan attacked in prison

Nov 14 2008 By Andrew Jackson

THE man accused of kidnapping Dewsbury schoolgirl Shannon Matthews has appeared in court just hours after he was attacked in prison.

It emerged on Friday that Michael Donovan, 40, was assaulted on Thursday evening at Leeds Prison, where he is being held on remand.

Donovan, who is not thought to have been seriously hurt, appeared in court on Friday morning on the third day of his trial alongside Shannon’s mother Karen Matthews.

They both deny kidnapping and falsely imprisoning Shannon, who went missing from her home in February when she was nine years old.