SHANNON MUM: THE TRUTH IS YET TO COME OUT
Kidnap faker Karen Matthews insists ‘others were involved’
KAREN Matthews insists the full story behind her girl Shannon’s kidnap is yet to be revealed.
The crooked mum spoke out after a TV drama on the snatch plot left her fearing for her life. She said: “The truth’s going to come out.”
KAREN Matthews has told how she fears for her life after the screening of a drama about the shocking fake kidnap of daughter Shannon.
The petrified mum-of-seven was bombarded by death threats as the first of BBC two-parter The Moorside was aired on Tuesday night and watched by seven million people.
But Matthews, 40, is still protesting her innocence over the heartless kidnap plot of nine-year-old Shannon and insisted the full truth will be revealed.
She told a pal: “I cannot go out of the door. I’m frightened out of my life. I’m shaking like a leaf. I’m s*** scared to even get any shopping or anything.
“I know I can’t stop it but why does it have to be dragged up again?
“Why don’t they just leave me alone and let me get on with my life?
“I’m worried I’ll have my windows smashed right now. I’m too scared to go anywhere. I feel isolated. If I could go back I would ask the police to reinvestigate everything… the truth’s going to come out.”
After the screening of The Moorside, which starred Gemma Whelan as the kidnap mum and Sheridan Smith plays her best mate Julie Bushby, viewers laid into Matthews on social media – even though she paid her punishment for the 2008 crime with a jail sentence.
The sick death threats included one from a viewer called Andy who posted: “The evil cow wants putting to sleep.” Another added: “Absolutely disgusting that Karen Matthews has been given a new identity.”
Former model Jodie Marsh wrote: “I’d go as far as to say that it’s people like Karen Matthews who make me think we should all be sterilised from birth then vetted to have kids.”
And another viewer added: “If Donald Trump checks Twitter tonight, he’ll find someone more unpopular than him. Karen Matthews.”
Matthews claimed she has been attacked in the street since being released from prison, where she served half of a four-year sentence for the kidnap plot which was believed to have been carried out in a cynical bid to get reward money.
She and partner in crime Michael Donovan hid the youngster in Dewsbury, West Yorks – then launched an appeal to find her.
Hundreds of residents on the Moorside estate where Shannon lived joined the hunt for her. Sniffer dogs, helicopters and specialist search teams worked around the clock to find the missing girl.
Her mum gave a press conference clutching Shannon’s teddy bear and pleading for her to come home. She even went to a psychic pretending to look for answers and took part in several community marches wearing a “Have you seen Shannon Matthews” T-shirt.
The girl was found 24 days later inside the base of a divan bed at Donovan’s flat in nearby Batley Carr. She had been drugged. Donovan also got eight years for his part in the plot.
But Matthews insists “others” were involved in the kidnap and said her
Snatch plot crook death threats after BBC drama on her
She still protests innocence and says truth will come out
I cannot go out of the door. I’m frightened for my life. I feel isolated KAREN MATTHEWS ON TORMENT OF ONLINE ABUSE
fingerprints were never found in Donovan’s flat. She has told pals: “They were saying it’s all me and it wasn’t just me.”
Matthews has also denied she carried out the kidnap to cash in on the reward.
We exclusively revealed in December how Matthews has turned to God and ditched the booze since her release. She also attends regular bible readings.
She is now living in southern England under a new name based on her favourite Hollywood star.
And Matthews has been allowed to change her name to keep vigilantes off her scent. But she fears, since the drama was shown, she will be traced to her new home and targeted.
Once branded Britain’s most hated
mum, Matthews has been harassed in the street and even wrongly branded a “nonce”, or child molester.
She would also love to change her look too, by having plastic surgery.
Despite claiming to be terrified to leave her home, Matthews was yesterday spotted going to work at a charity shop – her first job since leaving prison. Later in the day she could be seen rearranging the window display. It is not known if her position is a paid one or a voluntary post.
The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have branded The Moorside drama “appalling” after it mentioned their ordeal several times.
As Kate and Gerry McCann face the heartbreaking 10th anniversary of their daughter’s disappearance, they were faced with a show that alluded to their offer of a bigger reward to find Madeleine.
A source said: “They feel it is very insensitive and the show tries to glorify a terrible crime involving a young girl.”