Sheridan Smith stars in a BBC drama about the disappearance of a young girl from The Moorside Estate in West Yorkshire, but just how accurate is the story this two-episode tale tells?
Who is Shannon Matthews and when did she go missing?
Shannon Matthews is a young English girl who became the focus of one of the biggest search efforts since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.
In 2008, when she was just 9 years old, Shannon was reported missing by her mother, Karen, after she failed to return home from school on February 19th.
The last confirmed sighting of her was outside Westmoor Junior School, in Dewsbury, at 15:10 GMT.
Her disappearance gripped the nation and rewards of up to £50,000 were offered for her safe return as Karen pleaded for her to come home.
Who is Karen Matthews?
Shannon’s mother was the one who made the 999 call and reported her missing.
She became the face of the campaign to bring her daughter home, making numerous pleas for her safe return.
Who is Julie Bushby?
Julie Bushby (played by Sheridan Smith) was a neighbour of the Matthews family who rallied the community together to search for the missing Shannon.
She was chair of the Moorside estate’s tenants’ association at the time.
Where is The Moorside?
The Moorside Estate is in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, located west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds.
How long was Shannon Matthews missing for and where was she found?
Shannon was missing for three weeks before she was found on March 14 2009.
She was discovered hidden inside the base of a divan bed at a house in Batley Carr, just about a mile from her family home.
The house she was found in belonged to her stepfather’s uncle, Michael Donovan, and police soon established a link between Karen and the man who’d been holding her daughter.
How much time passed between Shannon’s discovery and her mother Karen’s arrest?
While Michael Donovan was arrested when police found Shannon and charged three days later on 17th March, it wasn’t until 6th April that Karen was taken into custody. Four days earlier, her partner – and Shannon’s stepdad – Craig was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. Karen was formally charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice on 8th April, with charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment added on 5th September.
Was it Julie Bushby and Natalie Brown who got the truth out of Karen?
Yes. Three weeks after Shannon was found, Julie and Natalie rang police liaison officer Christine Freeman (played by Siobhan Finneran) to say they wanted to talk to Karen. “[Natalie] put a theory to her that she – Karen – had wanted to leave Craig and asked Mick to pick up Shannon,” Christine recently told the Telegraph. “She was to join him with the other kids, but at the last minute, when she was going to tell Craig, she bottled it.
“Karen drew the biggest intake of breath I’ve ever heard and said ‘Yes, that’s right’. I couldn’t believe it. Julie kept her talking and as she confessed I started making notes. Then I arrested her.”
It is a theory supported by Julie who recently told Radio Times that she believes Karen moved Shannon out of the flat as a first step towards leaving Craig, but pressure from family and friends caused her to report her daughter missing to police.
What happened to Shannon’s mother, Karen Matthews, when the truth was revealed?
Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan both went on trial and were found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
During the trial it was revealed that Shannon had been both drugged and tethered during her time in captivity.
The pair were sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
Where is Karen Matthews now?
The truth is very few people know. She was released on licence in 2012, having served just half of her sentence. She never returned to the Moorside Estate. It has recently been reported that Karen is now tee-total and a born again Christian.
What happened to Shannon’s stepfather, Craig Meehan?
In September 2008 Meehan was convicted of possessing child pornography and sentenced to 20 weeks in prison. However, as he’d already spent so much time on remand, he was freed.
He claimed the 136 images found on his computer during the search for Shannon had nothing to do with him and attempted to appeal the ruling in 2009.
Since his release, he is believed to have moved from home to home, and was most recently spotted in Dewsbury, close to the house he once shared with Karen and Shannon.
What happened to Shannon Matthews after her mother was charged?
Shannon was taken into care immediately after she was found and remained there.
Where is Shannon Matthews now?
The show’s writer Neil McKay says that there’s a court order preventing anyone from contacting Shannon Matthews, but we do know that she’s now 18 years old and living with a different family.
from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2TQ11Ly
