Lawyers for Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan have told Leeds Crown Court that the kidnapping of Shannon Matthews is a 'truly unique' case with no legal precedent. The pair were found guilty last month of kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice over the disappearance of the then-nine-year-old in February 2008.
Alan Conrad QC, representing Donovan, said that despite extensive searches, no comparable sentencing authorities could be found. He accepted that only a custodial sentence was justified but argued that Shannon was not physically mistreated during her 24-day captivity in Donovan's flat. 'She was well looked after and well nourished,' he said, adding that Donovan was not the instigator of the plot and may have been manipulated by others.
Frances Oldham QC, for Matthews, criticised media 'hysteria' following the conviction, specifically rejecting a police officer's description of her client as 'pure evil'. She argued that Matthews was not a typical violent criminal and that no violence was used against Shannon, who was kept 'safe, warm and nourished' apart from being given drugs.
Oldham also noted that Matthews has been kept in isolation in prison and faces physical threats due to the notoriety of her crime. The court heard that Shannon, now 10, went missing on 19 February 2008 while walking home from school in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire.
