Shannon Matthews trial Day 11: 'Karen's kidnap rules' claim

Nov 26 2008 By Andrew Jackson

The court has heard how Shannon, who was nine at the time, was found in Donovan’s flat 24 days after she went missing from her home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, in February this year.

The prosecution allege Donovan kept her drugged and imprisoned in his flat as part of a plan he and Matthews had to claim £50,000 in reward money.

Donovan again denied any knowledge of a strap found in his loft which it is alleged was used to restrain Shannon.

He said it was a "mystery" to him as he was unable to get into his loft.

Referring to a list of rules found in his flat, he denied he had written them.

Mrs Oldham put it to him: "You wrote these rule out yourself, not copied from another piece of paper?"

"No, I copied it from an A4 piece of paper," Donovan told the jury.

He claims he was given the rules by Matthews.

Donovan told the jury he showed Shannon some of his daughter’s clothing.

"I showed her some. It was up to her if she wore it or not," he told the jury.

He denied that he regarded Shannon as one of his daughters.