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

Nov 26 2008 By Andrew Jackson

Mrs Oldham referred to a number of phone calls between Donovan and his sister, Alice.

She put it to Donovan that his case was that Karen Matthews was using Alice’s phone.

"She did do, yeah," he told the court.

Mrs Oldham said: "She knew about the plan, didn’t she? She, Alice, knew about the plan.

"I don’t think so, no," he replied.

The jury was shown a collection of CCTV footage showing Donovan in Dewsbury and in supermarkets in Batley and Dewsbury during the 24 days Shannon was missing.

He said Shannon sat in the back of his car in car parks while he shopped in the supermarkets.

Donovan has told the court he was threatened by Matthews to keep to the plan and was scared.

Under cross examination, Julian Goose QC, prosecuting, suggested this was not the case.

He said: "If you were scared because of the threats that you had to stick to the plan, why risk taking her out in the car so she could be found and ruin the plan?"

Donovan answered: "I didn’t want her to be cooped up in the flat."