Shannon Matthews trial: Guilty verdicts

Dec 4 2008 By Andrew Jackson

SUNDAY APRIL 6

:: Prison confirms Donovan tried to kill himself in Leeds Prison.

:: Matthews is arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice by Detective Constable Christine Freeman after Matthews admits she knew where Shannon was all along, during a car journey.

TUESDAY APRIL 8

:: Matthews is charged with perverting the course of justice and child neglect.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 9

:: Matthews makes her first court appearance at Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court. After this she tells a security officer Shannon’s disappearance was planned by Meehan and other members of his family.

THURSDAY APRIL 17

:: Matthews is interviewed again by detectives. She produces a prepared statement in which she again blames Meehan for Shannon’s disappearance.

FRIDAY APRIL 18

:: Meehan denies child pornography charges at Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16

:: Meehan is found guilty of 11 counts of possessing indecent images of children. He is sentenced to 20 weeks in prison but is released because of the time he already spent in jail on remand.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11

:: A jury is sworn in to try Matthews and Donovan on charges of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13

:: Donovan is attacked by another inmate at Leeds Prison and suffers a fractured jaw.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 4

:: Matthews and Donovan found guilty of all charges.