Karen Matthews – she’s back for fame and a Big Mac
KAREN Matthews, mother of missing-then-found Shannon Matthews, is back in the news. The mum-of-seven staged a fake kidnapping of her daughter Shannon to get a £50,000 reward offered by national newspapers. A hungry media lapped up the story of the missing child. Dewsbury had its own Our Maddie. But Shannon was in Michael Donovan’s flat. ‘Uncle Michael’ was in cahoots with Karen Matthews. He was jailed for nine years for kidnap and false imprisonment. Earlier this month, Donovan was released on licence. Karen Matthews got eight years. Now she’s getting out.
Dewsbury Reporter: “Exclusive: Karen Matthews won’t come home to Dewsbury Moor”
On March 25, the paper reported:
KAREN Matthews is expected to be released from jail within weeks – but she isn’t likely to return to Dewsbury.
Karen is expected to finish her eight-year sentence for kidnap and false imprisonment of her daughter, Shannon, next month. This Wednesday it was the fourth anniversary of Shannon being found. “I know for a fact she is not coming back,” Ms Bushby said. “As far as I’m aware she will head for a halfway house.” She also rubbished tabloid newspaper reports of Karen having a boyfriend waiting for her in Cyprus and that the jailed mum plans to head straight for The Jeremy Kyle Show when she is released from prison in Derby.
Ms Bushby said: “It’s nonsense. She won’t be able to make any money from her crimes.”
Daily Express (March 18): “KIDNAP FRAUD MUM KAREN MATTHEWS’ PRISON BOAST”
BRITAIN’S most hated mother Karen Matthews will soon be freed but has no plans to go back to her old life on a “grotty” estate because she’s “too good” for it.
Matthews will be released from Foston Hall Prison in Derbyshire within the next fortnight but is unlikely to return to Dewsbury. An insider said: “She’s made it clear to everyone that she thinks she’s too good for the place. “She’s changed her appearance and has no intention of going back to the area she came from. She says it’s a grotty hole and the people are trash. It’s a bit rich coming from a woman who did what she did but she was deluded enough to kidnap her own daughter, so nothing surprises us about Karen.”
Julie Bushby, a neighbour and former chairman of the local residents’ association, said: “I know for a fact she is not coming back. As far as I’m aware she will head for a halfway house”.
Karen Matthews, who was jailed over the kidnap of her daughter, is planning a new life in a different location after her release in less than three weeks.
“She has already undergone a ‘full makeover’ complete with a trendy new hairstyle.”
The manipulative 36-year-old – jailed in 2008 for abducting her nine-year-old Shannon – dramatically claimed that “several others” were involved in the evil scheme. Just days before she is due for release, she has told a friend she is too scared to reveal who else was really behind it.
Friend? The most hated woman in the country has a friend?
The mother of seven says her life was threatened by those who have escaped justice and forced her to keep her mouth shut. And she says she is prepared to take a lie detector test to prove she’s telling the truth.
The truth? The convicted liar is going to tell the truth?
She opened up to her former neighbour Julie Bushby who spent several years visiting her at Foston Hall women’s prison in Derbyshire.
This is the “friend” who is uncertain of Matthews post-prison movements?
Matthews, who is now using a new surname in preparation for her release, told Julie: “I won’t come clean about what I actually know about what happened because I’ve been threatened.” She claims a man “threatened to kill” her if she told the police the truth. She added weirdly: “When I get out I want a lie detector test to show I’m innocent – and a Big Mac. There are others who should be here instead of me but I was too scared to open my mouth. They said they would kill me if I did. They should be here, not me.”
How does Karen spend her days?
She revealed the jailbird, who served food to other inmates, spent her time colouring with crayons, singing on a karaoke machine and watching Jeremy Kyle on the TV in her en suite cell.
He’s got a lie detector, hasn’t he.
Julie spent hours listening to Matthews, who changed her story every time they met.
Police insist they have no plans to re-open the Shannon Matthews kidnap case – despite new claims by her mum…
West Yorkshire’s Assistant Chief Constable, Jawaid Akhtar, said: “During Operation Paris, Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan were charged and subsequently convicted of kidnapping Shannon Matthews.
“No-one else was charged and Karen Matthews has not provided any evidence concerning the involvement of anyone else or about any threats made against her.
“Without new evidence to suggest otherwise, we would have no reason to raise matters further with the Crown Prosecution Service.”
The story, of course, is what happened next to Shannon Matthews?
Posted: 24th, March 2012 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comments (10) | TrackBack | Permalink
