Staring bewilderingly into space the mother of missing nine year old Shannon Matthews looks drawn, haggard and gaunt. It should be down to the countless hours of worrying, the sleepless nights wondering where the daughter that she loved so much was.
Yet in reality for twenty four days Karen Matthews not only knew where here ‘missing’ daughter was yet she orchestrated the whole story. Drugged, tied up and held hostage nine year old Shannon Matthews was kept in a small divan bed, not big enough to turn over in whilst her mother and goggle eyed porn addict of a boyfriend played the hearts of millions hoping to gain the reward that The Sun newspaper had placed, £50,000.
The plan was to release Shannon into a market where her Uncle, also in on the act, would find her and then claim the reward. But thanks to the more than observant scrutiny of the local police force and detectives they not only saw through the whole lie but more importantly found Shannon alive.
Karen and the uncle were yesterday found guilty of Kidnapping, Imprisonement and Abduction and face “lengthy jail terms”. All for £50,000.
They will no doubt be the target of much abuse, they will never see Shannon again. Shannon has been in care since, and the worst crime of all is that she will now grow up without a mother. The price of stupidity, £50,ooo. The price of love, that is priceless.