Shannon Matthew's mother guilty of kidnapping daughter

The mother of Shannon Matthews, the West Yorkshire schoolgirl who went missing in February for over three weeks, prompting a massive police hunt, was found guilty yesterday of kidnapping her daughter to claim a reward for her recovery.

Karen Matthews, 33, and her co-accused Michael Donovan, 40, were both convicted by a jury at Leeds Crown Court of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice, the Press Association reported.

Ms Shannon was found in Donovan's flat, around a mile from her home, 24 days after she disappeared and after a police search that cost £3.2 million.

Prosecutors said the schoolgirl was drugged and probably kept captive on a leash during her incarceration as Ms Matthews and Mr Donovan, the uncle of her then boyfriend Craig Meehan, plotted to collect the £50,000 reward money.