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

Nov 25 2008 By Andrew Jackson

Frances Oldham, QC, for Matthews, put it to Donovan that he had been described as a fantasist and he was ``telling stories'' to the jury today.

He denied the accusation and repeated his claim that he was scared of Karen Matthews and went ahead with her plan because he feared he would be beaten up, his car would be burnt and his flat trashed.

"I was scared," he told the jury.

Mrs Oldham put it to him that he liked heroic characters and he must have been "overjoyed" when the police arrived at his flat "riding to your rescue".

"Not really," he replied."I was just right scared about everything."

He told the jury Shannon was free to go about the flat and denied he put her into the bed where she was found.

He denied he put his hand over her mouth.

"No. I was nowhere near her," he told the jury.

Donovan had more than £600 in his wallet when he was arrested at his flat.

He denied a suggestion from Mrs Oldham that the money would be used to take Shannon to Blackpool that weekend.

He also denied telling a Boots pharmacist when picking up travel sickness tablets that he was "taking his lad to Blackpool".

He agreed that he took one of his daughters to the resort on November 13 2006 when he picked her up from school.

The court heard they were registered under a false name and address in a bed and breakfast hotel when police were alerted and safely recovered his daughter.

He appeared at Bolton Crown Court in April last year but the prosecution offered no evidence on the alleged kidnapping and the matter was dropped.

Mrs Oldham asked Donovan if he had a hidden place in the bed of his flat for anyone other than Shannon.

"No," he said.

"It was you that cut it," she continued.

"No," he said again.

Mrs Oldham put it to Donovan that he never took Shannon out in his car to visit parks and local supermarkets.

"I did," he told the jury.

Mrs Oldham said: "There was a massive hunt for Shannon, wasn’t there?

"I think so, yes," he replied.

She added: "Are you telling this jury you took Shannon Matthews out on three occasions to the park?"

"I took her out to the park," he told the jury.

Mrs Oldham asked him why he had stopped his car when he was flagged down by Karen Matthews if he was scared of her.

"I thought something was up," he replied.

Mrs Oldham accused him of telling a lie.

"No", he replied.