SHANNON MATTHEWS 9 - Dewsbury, Yorkshire (UK) - 19/02/08

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Belfast Telegraph

15 March 2008

Deborah Orr: Wonderful news that carries a message for the media

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/article3522388.ece

* Powerful article IMO.

MERLYNSAM

West Yorkshire Police

Saturday, 15th March, 2008

Shannon Matthews Enquiry

This is an update in relation to Shannon Matthews:

Shannon has had a comfortable and settled night and is starting on the road to recovery following her ordeal.

She spent last night watching dvds, has had breakfast this morning and has been playing with a kitten.

Today she will continue to be supported by specially trained officers who will try to carefully establish what has happened since she went missing on February 19th.

Shannon remains under care of the Police protection order. Her well-being and welfare continues to be the priority of West Yorkshire Police.

We would like to remind the media that proceedings are active - a 39 year old man has been arrested and is in custody - therefore rules of contempt apply.

http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/section-item.asp?sid=12&iid=4707

TEZZA

What awful reporting we've seen in this case.
Earlier reports suggested that Shannon was found at her grandparents house. This was false.

She was found at the flat of Michael Donovan, 39. he is the uncle of Craig Meehan, 22, the partner of Shannon's mother Karen Matthews.

He is the uncle of Shannon's stepfather.
There are reports that the police were alerted to the flat previously but did not act on it. They called to the flat earlier that day on routine house-to-house enquiries but got no answer.

Neighbours later reported to the police about hearing a child's footsteps, but Donovan lived in the flat alone. It was after this that the police decided to break the door down and raid the flat.

It goes to show that vigilance from neighbours is the key to such cases.
But why did it take almost 3 weeks to find Shannon?

MERLYNSAM

Draft Letter to:

Sir Norman Bettison (Chief Constable)
West Yorkshire Police Headquarters
PO Box 9
Wakefield
WF1 3QP

Dear Sir

I am writing on behalf of the members of the Find Madeleine Forum who have been following the case of Shannon Matthews on a daily basis.

We would like to express our thanks to you and your dedicated team of police officers and detectives who worked tirelessly throughout the last 24 days to locate Shannon and recover her safely. The dedication, tenacity and professionalism of your team has resulted in a most successful outcome against all the odds.

West Yorkshire Police have clearly shown that the United Kingdom has one of the best police services in the world.

Please pass on our admiration and thanks to those involved in the recovery of Shannon.

Yours faithfully




on behalf of the Find Madeleine Forum

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Great Merly

MERLYNSAM

Tezza wrote:What awful reporting we've seen in this case.
Earlier reports suggested that Shannon was found at her grandparents house. This was false.

She was found at the flat of Michael Donovan, 39. he is the uncle of Craig Meehan, 22, the partner of Shannon's mother Karen Matthews.

He is the uncle of Shannon's stepfather.
There are reports that the police were alerted to the flat previously but did not act on it. They called to the flat earlier that day on routine house-to-house enquiries but got no answer.

Neighbours later reported to the police about hearing a child's footsteps, but Donovan lived in the flat alone. It was after this that the police decided to break the door down and raid the flat.

It goes to show that vigilance from neighbours is the key to such cases.
But why did it take almost 3 weeks to find Shannon?

I agree that it has been awful reporting tezza, but I understood that the police were carrying out house checks on the EXTENDED FAMILY - not just 'routine house to house checks'. It was when nobody came to the door that the police spoke to the neighbours. On learning that a neighbour had heard the sound of feet above, they called for a special back-up team (including at least one dog). They then broke in and rescued Shannon.

The police started doing criminal record checks on the whole extended family on 3rd March (and I reckon that there would be a LOT of extended family members under the circumstances of the children having different fathers).

Missing kids is claiming that they reported the address to the police but we don't know when ....... it could have even been yesterday morning. We don't know what information they gave.... we don't even know if they really did.

I am sure that all will become clear over the coming days......

TEZZA

merlynsam wrote:

Tezza wrote:What awful reporting we've seen in this case.
Earlier reports suggested that Shannon was found at her grandparents house. This was false.

She was found at the flat of Michael Donovan, 39. he is the uncle of Craig Meehan, 22, the partner of Shannon's mother Karen Matthews.

He is the uncle of Shannon's stepfather.
There are reports that the police were alerted to the flat previously but did not act on it. They called to the flat earlier that day on routine house-to-house enquiries but got no answer.

Neighbours later reported to the police about hearing a child's footsteps, but Donovan lived in the flat alone. It was after this that the police decided to break the door down and raid the flat.

It goes to show that vigilance from neighbours is the key to such cases.
But why did it take almost 3 weeks to find Shannon?

I agree that it has been awful reporting tezza, but I understood that the police were carrying out house checks on the EXTENDED FAMILY - not just 'routine house to house checks'. It was when nobody came to the door that the police spoke to the neighbours. On learning that a neighbour had heard the sound of feet above, they called for a special back-up team (including at least one dog). They then broke in and rescued Shannon.

The police started doing criminal record checks on the whole extended family on 3rd March (and I reckon that there would be a LOT of extended family members under the circumstances of the children having different fathers).

Missing kids is claiming that they reported the address to the police but we don't know when ....... it could have even been yesterday morning. We don't know what information they gave.... we don't even know if they really did.

I am sure that all will become clear over the coming days.......

I agree that there must be a HUGE extended family.
But I'm also hearing that this man was known to the police, if that is the case, I again have to ask why it took almost 3 weeks to locate Shannon.

Even Shannon's mother suspected it was someone known to the family.[/

MERLYNSAM


Tezza, I'm going to post some updates. It appears that there are several people claiming that they informed the police. Also, the police spent 2 days carrying out forensic tests at his mother's house prior to locating the flat.

However, one of the reports suggests that the police spent a great deal of time checking out over 1,000 paedophiles in the local area!

Anyway, see what you make of it all.

MERLYNSAM

The Sun

15th March

Warped uncle took Shannon

<snippet>

Dad-of-two Ryan, 29, called cops days after Shannon’s disappearance. He told them Donovan — the uncle of the little girl’s stepdad Craig — had behaved strangely at a family funeral six weeks before her disappearance on February 19.

While other mourners quietly paid their respects, Donovan, 39, began bouncing Shannon on his knee — and paying her “far too much attention”.

Ryan already knew Donovan’s computer had been checked by police. And he told The Sun that the oddball loner, had a reputation for “acting oddly” around children.

Cracked

He also knew Donovan had snatched back one of his two daughters after his ex-wife was given custody following their bitter divorce.

Ryan, a tiler from Dewsbury, West Yorks, said: “Donovan behaved very strangely at that funeral. He was bouncing her up and down on his knee. Everyone at the funeral noticed it and thought it was far, far too close.

“Mick’s always been odd around kids. He really cracked up when his own kids were taken off him.”

Within days of Shannon’s disappearance Ryan realised Donovan may have her and called Crimestoppers at Wakefield police station.

He gave them Donovan’s name and the address in nearby Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr. Police acted after realising Ryan’s information matched that given to them by a concerned neighbour of Donovan.

The woman, called June, apparently told cops she heard a child’s footsteps in his flat above her — but knew no kiddies lived there.

Police had also been contacted by the charity Missing People who had been tipped off that Shannon might be in Lidgate Gardens.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article921750.ece

MERLYNSAM

The Daily Mail

Last updated at 12:40pm on 15th March 2008

By FIONA BARTON

Revealed: The 'scruffy misfit' who lost his own two children and is now accused of abducting Shannon

<snippet>

Police were yesterday guarding the flat in Lidgate Gardens.

Another officer was standing outside the terrace home of Alice Meehan, the mother of Shannon's stepfather Craig. She is the elder sister of Paul Drake.

Neighbours said that Mrs Meehan, who was widowed last November, recently moved out of the house.

"They just upped and left last Sunday, it was just very sudden," a neighbour said.

"It was quite strange because the lady who lives there has been there for five years so it was very quick for her to just go like that.

"The police have been in the house for the last two days. Forensic officers have been inside, they went in with gloves, plastic on their feet and white suits. CID have been there ever since."

The discovery of Shannon at Drake's flat concludes an extraordinary manhunt.

Police had been focusing their search on local known paedophiles - but were sadly spoilt for choice.

It emerged in the course of the inquiry that an astonishing 1,387 registered sex offenders live within a 20-mile radius of the nine-year-old's family home in Dewsbury Moor, West Yorkshire.

And with so many suspects within half an hour's drive, police had a huge list to work through.

Sniffer dogs were taken to more than 500 addresses, but no solid leads had emerged.

Officers were also busy viewing piles of CCTV tapes from the area, and well as investigating neighbours and relatives.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=534328&in_page_id=1770

MERLYNSAM

The Sun

15th March 2008

You're safe...where is he?

RESCUED Shannon Matthews pointed out her abductor to police yesterday after a detective gave her a reassuring hug – then whispered gently: “Where is the man?”

Three officers discovered the nine-year-old schoolgirl cowering in the base of a divan bed after they smashed down the door of a shabby £80,000 council flat and dashed upstairs.

Brave Shannon clung to the detective as he helped her from the lair, where she had been held captive for a harrowing 24 days.

When he asked her about the “man”, she gestured towards the bed.

Cops followed her instructions and, on the other side of a partition inside the divan, found 39-year-old Mick Donovan – uncle of Shannon’s stepfather Craig Meehan.

<continues>

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article921713.ece

MERLYNSAM

Now folks, I have a confusion:

They said Shannon was found in the drawer of a divan bed.

They say that he was also in one.

So WHO closed them?

MERLYNSAM

Tezza

This is a snippet from the Dewsbury Moor Community website for Shannon:

The Police have done a sterling job. Their belief that the focus of the investigation was in Dewsbury and their dogged persistence has paid off in spades.

The media have generally been helpful and positive.

Our strongest appreciation is for the community of Dewsbury Moor that rallied round a family in distress and are genuinely thrilled by the outcome. It does feel as though the hard work of many has contributed to a positive outcome.

http://www.helpfindshannon.org.uk/

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

merlynsam wrote:Now folks, I have a confusion:

They said Shannon was found in the drawer of a divan bed.

They say that he was also in one.

So WHO closed them?

Good question Merly but maybe they were really slidy ones and easy to push from inside. I'm doubtful he was in one myself. Has that been confirmed?[/

MERLYNSAM

Yes, one of the latest reports said that the police recovered Shannon and then asked, "Where is he?" She pointed to the bed.

Three officers discovered the nine-year-old schoolgirl cowering in the base of a divan bed after they smashed down the door of a shabby £80,000 council flat and dashed upstairs.

Brave Shannon clung to the detective as he helped her from the lair, where she had been held captive for a harrowing 24 days.

When he asked her about the “man”, she gestured towards the bed.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article921713.ece

MERLYNSAM

The Find Deonna website:

http://www.finddeonna.com/

PAM SUPPORTFROMIRELAND

Ok then, must be slidy ones then, when you need to do something, can I suppose.

MERLYNSAM

I just know that I wouldn't manage to push my slidy ones from the inside. It takes a good heave-ho to push them from the outside!

TEZZA

Thanks for the updates Merly.
I really am not bashing the police but still wonder why it took three weeks and three different sources before action was taken.

1) A relative remembering him acting 'oddly' at a family funeral a few weeks earlier, bouncing Shannon on his knee.

2) Missing Kids supposedly alerted police to the address.

3) During enquiries a neighbour alerted police of hearing child footsteps in the flat above.

I believe it was after all 3 reports that the police decided to break into the flat.

Now, the bed thing is a bit of a mystery.
I can understand a girl being hidden in a drawer underneath a bed, but a full grown man???

Reports are suggesting Shannon was found and asked, "where is the man?" She then supposedly pointed to the other drawer?

Now, I find that hard to believe that they wouldn't of opened both drawers and checked first of all.
What pointed them to the drawer which had Shannon in?
Did they hear her shout?
Wouldn't she of been told to 'not make a sound'??

I'm finding it hard to figure out how a full grown man could fit in such a small space AND close the drawer behind him.

Below are some examples of storage space for divan games, which I aquired from a beds website.
See what you think.

Storage options
There is a wide range of storage options for both single and double divan bases, with either drawers in the base or with the Ottoman storage divan where the storage is inside the base, as illustrated below.





All the mattresses sold by Bones on Beds and in the MATTRESS section of this webpage are suitable for the bases displayed in this section

Bed Sizes
All Divan bases are available in widths of 2' 6", 3' 0", 3' 6", 4' 0", 4' 6", 5' 0", 6' 0" or any special size in multiples of 3". They can also be manufactured either higher or lower to suit your individual needs.

KARENJANE

Neighbour of Donovan's is now saying she found Shannon's towel, or what is believed to be Shannon's towel, on the day she went missing.

She went back a few days later and the towel was missing so she forgot about it. She also saw Shannon there on the day she went missing, she said Shannon looked sad.

It took her until Wednesday this week to report all this to the police.

MERLYSAN

Sky News

15th March 2008

Police To Quiz 'Bubbly' Shannon

Shannon Matthews is in a &quot;bubbly and relaxed&quot; mood as police wait to question her and the man suspected of her abduction.

A police statement added: &quot;Shannon has had a comfortable and settled night and is starting on the road to recovery following her ordeal.

&quot;She spent last night watching DVDs, has had breakfast this morning and has been playing with a kitten.

&quot;She will continue to be supported by specially trained officers who will try to carefully establish what has happened since she went missing on February 19th.&quot;

Shannon - who will be questioned by specialist officers - was found after one of the UKs biggest ever searches.

Mr Donovan, 39, who was formerly known as Paul Drake, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of abduction.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1309412,00.html

BBC News

15th March 2008

Shannon 'starts road to recovery'

Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews, who was rescued after going missing for three weeks, is &quot;starting on the road to recovery&quot;, police have said.

She spent &quot;a comfortable and settled night&quot; watching films and playing with a kitten after being rescued from a flat in Batley Carr, West Yorkshire.

Her stepfather's uncle has been arrested on suspicion of abduction.

The 39-year-old, said locally to use two names - Paul Drake and Mick Donovan - was taken to hospital for a precautionary check-up before being taken into police custody.

West Yorkshire Police said they would try to carefully establish what has happened since the schoolgirl went missing on 19 February, but they expected it to be a long process.

A force spokesman said: &quot;Shannon remains under care of the police protection order. Her well-being and welfare continues to be the priority of West Yorkshire Police.&quot;

Those in the community celebrating the girl's reappearance were hopeful that her parents would return home on Saturday after the pair spent the night in a hotel.

Her 32-year-old mother and stepfather Craig Meehan, 22, looked tired and drawn as they left Dewsbury Police Station on Friday night.

Neighbours said Shannon's mother had been briefly reunited with her daughter.

Shannon's natural father, Leon Rose, is also understood to have spent time with her following her rescue.

<continues>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7298221.stm

MERLYNSAM

The Daily Mail

15th March 2008

By HELEN WEATHERS

Shannon's dysfunctional family: A stepfather accused of violence and a mother at war with her parents

<snippet>

This week, Craig Meehan issued fierce denials that he'd hit Shannon, after the girl's 64-yearold grandmother claimed: "We have never seen him beat Shannon with our own eyes, but the kids have said it's happened.

"Me and Gordon went up there on a Sunday before Christmas to give Karen some money for gas.

"Karen wasn't in, but Craig was. One of the children was on the stairs, holding their stomach and crying. I asked what had happened and the child said: 'Craig, punch, punch, punch.'

"I told Karen these kids have an awful life, but she just accuses me of interfering. Another of the children also said Craig had hit them.

"Shannon was frightened of him, too. I've been round before when Shannon was at the top of the stairs, shivering. She had been sent upstairs with no dinner.

"When I asked Karen what was going on, she told me Craig was punishing her."

Mrs Matthews also claimed that on the day Shannon went missing Karen turned up at their house with a black eye.

"She said she'd had an argument with Craig. It was clear she was upset. She told me she'd had a fall, but I knew there was more to it. She'd been rowing with Craig that morning.

"Karen was a great mum before she took Craig in. Since he arrived, they've had a terrible life, but Karen accuses me of interfering. Shannon was too scared to go home that night."

Shannon's uncle Martin Matthews, 42, further claimed that on the night before she disappeared, Shannon pleaded to stay with him because she was too frightened to go home, because she'd sworn at Craig during an argument and been grounded.

Martin said: "She's been round here on many occasions saying the same thing: crying, saying she doesn't want to go home, saying: 'I hate living there.'

"She's showed me bruises on her arms and said Craig had lashed out at her. He does lash out.

"I told her she really shouldn't stay and she should go home, especially if she was grounded, and asked Tyler, my ten-year-old daughter, to walk her home. When Tyler got back, she said Shannon had cried all the way."

"My two kids saw Shannon the next morning. They told me she'd had an argument with her mum and that Karen had screamed at her to get out of the house and not come back."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=534349&in_page_id=1770&ct=5

MERLYNSAM

The Belfast Telegraph

15th March 2008

Shannon Matthews: The girl who came back from the dead

<snippet>

Police are believed to have found Shannon after acting on a call from Julie France, who lives in the same street as Mr Donovan. Speaking to reporters yesterday Ms France, who has eight children, said she thought she saw Shannon on the day she disappeared but initially thought her mind was playing tricks. Only when she came across a discarded bag with a swimming towel in it while out walking her dog did she make the connection and decide to contact the police.

"As soon as I made the connection something clicked in my brain," she said. "Suddenly I realised the day I spotted [the girl] must have been Tuesday the 19th, the day she went missing."

She said police officers visited her two days ago and then started knocking on doors in the area which led them to a neighbour in the flat above where Shannon was found who then told police she had heard a child's voice in the room below.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article3522368.ece

MERLYNSAM

Sky News - Breaking News

Updated:17:24, Saturday March 15, 2008

'Shannon Spotted Near Suspect's Flat'

Shannon Matthews was spotted near her suspected abductor's flat on the day she went missing, Sky News can reveal.

Neighbour Julie France told Sky she felt "guilty" because she had only reported the sighting to police on Wednesday.

She also spotted a towel in a small park next to the flat, matching the description of the one Shannon was last seen with. The girl vanished after a swimming trip on February 19.

Meanwhile, police have begun interviewing the schoolgirl and the man suspected of abducting her.

The nine-year-old - described as being in a "bubbly and relaxed" mood - was discovered in the base of a divan bed at the home of Mick Donovan, the uncle of Shannon's stepfather Craig Meehan.

<continues>

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1309412,00.html