Shannon Matthews trial Day 10: Shannon accused charged with kidnap before

Nov 25 2008 By Andrew Jackson

Donovan told the court that, on February 19, he waited about 10 or 15 minutes before Shannon approached his car.

He said: "I told Karen to bring Shannon down but she didn’t. Shannon came down by herself, on her own."

He told the jury the little girl said to him: "My mum told me you were taking me to the fair tonight."

Donovan said: "It was right foggy and awful that night. I don’t know exactly why she said that."

He went on: "I drove around Dewsbury and the fog was getting really down."

He said he told Shannon they could not go to the fair because of the fog.

Donovan told the jury: "I told her that we’ll have to go back to my flat now."

He told the court Shannon then said: "My mum said I’ll be stopping at your flat."

He told the jury he was surprised the youngster had nothing with her except the clothes she was wearing.

His barrister Alan Conrad QC asked him what contact he had with Matthews during the 24 days Shannon was at his flat.

He said his co-accused was supposed to ring at 10pm on the 19th but she did not.

Donovan said she rang the following day, apparently on his sister Alice Meehan’s phone.

Donovan told the jury: "She told me ’Is everything all right? Is she settled down?’

"I told her ’Yes’."

Donovan said he asked Matthews why Shannon had no clothes or toys.

"She told me ’You’ve got money - go and buy them’."