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

Nov 25 2008 By Andrew Jackson

Donovan went on: "I asked if she wanted to speak to Shannon and she said ’No, I’ve got to keep it short, stick to the plan, Mike’."

He said he then saw on the news that Shannon had been reported missing.

He said this was about two days later.

"I was really shocked and thought ’She’s really gone through with it’."

Asked what he thought he should do next, he said: "I was too terrified."

Donovan told the jury how Shannon liked to eat pizzas and take-away food during time in his flat.

He told the court how he slept in the back bedroom in a bunkbed while Shannon slept in a double bed.

"She looked around and then said, you’ve got a double bed. Can I stay in this bed? I said ’Yes, fine’."

Asked how she was during the three and a half weeks, Donovan replied: "She was happy going. She always wanted to watch DVDs, play games, on the computer and stuff like that."

He said she enjoyed Disney films, Bratz toys and he also bought her dresses, leggings, socks and shoes using cash from his incapacity benefits.

Donovan said he took the little girl to the park because he did not want her "cooped up" in the flat.

He described how he took her to a park on one occasion and she "ran straight towards the swings and started playing".

He told the jury: "She said I was more better when I bought things for her."

Earlier, Donovan told a jury he was "scared" of the youngster’s mother.

Mr Conrad asked him: "How do you feel towards Karen? Do you like her?"

He replied: "No."

Asked why, he went on: "I’m scared of her. She kept threatening me."

Donovan told the jury that Matthews flagged him down while he was driving in Dewsbury.

She told him she had a "problem" and wanted him to sort it out. He claimed she said: "I don’t want anyone else to know about it."