THE mother of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews, who went missing for 24 days earlier this year, has been charged with her kidnap and false imprisonment.
Karen Matthews, 32, had previously been accused of child neglect and perverting the course of justice.
The additional charges were revealed yesterday during a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
Matthews appeared in court along with Michael Donovan
, 40, who is already charged with nine-year-old Shannon's kidnap and false imprisonment. He is also charged with perverting the course of justice.
Both pleaded not guilty to the kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice charges. No plea was entered for the child neglect charge.
During the 45-minute hearing, Donovan and Matthews did not look at each other and sat staring straight ahead. It was the first time they had appeared side by side in the dock: the pair were separated by an empty chair.
Matthews was wearing dark trousers, a white blouse and a beige jacket. She folded her arms throughout the proceedings and looked straight ahead while lawyers discussed legal matters.
Donovan was dressed in a dark blue sweatshirt and light blue trousers and was hunched forward during the hearing.
Reading out the details of the kidnap charge to Matthews and Donovan, the court clerk said: "On the 19th day of February, 2008, you unlawfully and by force or fraud took or carried away Shannon Matthews against her will."
The false imprisonment charge stated: "Between the 18th day of February 2008 and the 15th day of March 2008 you unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned and detained Shannon Matthews against her will."
The charge of perverting the course of justice read: "Michael Donovan and Karen Matthews, between the 18th day of February 2008 and the 15th day of March 2008, with the intent to pervert the course of public justice, did a series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice and that you reported to the West Yorkshire Police that Shannon Matthews was a missing person when you knew where she was and you were keeping her from being found."
Donovan was barely audible at times as he pleaded not guilty to the charges while Matthews could be heard clearly.
Shannon disappeared on 19 February after going on a swimming trip.
Police mounted a massive investigation, involving hundreds of officers and a team of 60 detectives, and she was eventually discovered less than a mile from her home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire, 24 days after she went missing.
Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Dewsbury, the uncle of Shannon's stepfather, Craig Meehan, was arrested on 14 March after the schoolgirl was found in nearby Batley Carr.
Matthews and Donovan were remanded back into custody until their trial on 11 November.
The full article contains 468 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
