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Cosmopolitan
19 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
'She said disturbing things': Karen Matthews' liaison officer reveals what notorious mum was like in private
The family liaison officer assigned to work alongside Karen Matthews in 2008 has revealed what she was really like after daughter Shannon went missing. It's been 17 years since Shannon Matthews disappeared from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. As she was just nine years old at the time, Shannon's case was compared to that of Madeleine McCann, and sparked nationwide coverage. However, it was alleged that Karen had conspired alongside Michael Donovan (who was Karen's partner's uncle), to stage a kidnapping and collect the reward money. Both Karen and Michael were sentenced to eight years in prison, after being found guilty of kidnap and false imprisonment, as well as perverting the course of justice. And it now appears there were moments where suspicions were aroused around Karen's behaviour, with new two-part Prime Video documentary The Hunt for Shannon Matthews featuring new testimony from people who were close to the case. Christine Freeman, a former family liaison officer for West Yorkshire Police, revealed in the series that she had her suspicions piqued when she observed the mum of seven's strange behaviour. 'I constantly said to her, 'Karen, we need to prepare for the worst.' I don't think Karen had any grasp at all of the possible dangers for her child,' Christine said. 'She just doesn't seem aware of it. She didn't seem willing to accept the possibility. 'It was hard to control your own emotions that you were feeling. But there will come a time where I will have to bring Karen really down to earth by telling her something terrible has happened to her daughter.' While Christine said she initially had 'sympathy' for Karen, it was a press conference around Mother's Day in 2008 which led to uncertainty. 'She came out with some things that were quite disturbing really,' Christine continued, adding that Karen reportedly said she thought that it was someone she knew that had taken Shannon. 'That is the first time anything like that had been suggested,' Christine said. 'After that press conference, I said, 'What do you mean somebody who knows you?' 'She said, 'Oh, just anybody.' She kind of brushed it off – 'I don't mean anybody in particular, I just mean somebody who might know us.'" Shannon was found tied and sedated in Michael's house, 24 days after she was initially reported missing. It's not the first time that Christine has spoken about her suspicions. In an interview with The Telegraph in 2017, Christine recalled: 'When I got to the house Karen and her boyfriend, Craig Meehan, were playing on an X-Box. Karen hardly looked up," she said. "After a few minutes my phone rang. I had a pop song as my ringtone and Karen got up and started dancing to it. I remember thinking 'this is really odd'." The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, a two-part documentary series, is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Cosmopolitan
2 days ago
- Cosmopolitan
Shannon Matthews' mum, Karen, is living a totally different life now after the fake kidnapping plot
It's been 17 years since Shannon Matthews went missing, and now a new Prime Video true crime documentary series is taking a look at the case that gripped the nation. In The Hunt for Shannon Matthews new details are uncovered about Shannon's disappearance – and her return home – through interviews with her childhood friends, locals in her community, and investigators from the case. Of course, a central figure in the documentary – while not appearing herself – is Karen Matthews, Shannon's mother. In the two-part series, we learn more about Karen, her life, and the events that led to her daughter's disappearance, as well as a few small details about where she is now. With some questions left unanswered by the documentary, we decided to do some digging ourselves to find out more about Karen Matthews and where she is now. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Karen, starting with a recap of the case that unravelled in 2008.... Shannon Matthews, who was nine at the time of her disappearance, was reported missing on 19 February 2008. She was last seen outside her school – Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire – by her best friend, who appears in Prime Video's documentary series. After realising that Shannon had not returned home, her mother contacted police, prompting a large-scale search involving 250 officers and 60 detectives. The local community also rallied together, led by Karen's friend, Julie Bushby. Missing posters were plastered across the town and people came from all walks of life to search for the young girl. Sadly, as the days and weeks went by, many began to lose faith that Shannon would be found alive and well, but Karen and Julie remained hopeful. Read our full deep-dive into the Shannon Matthews case here. While Karen Matthews (alongside her then-partner, Craig Meehan) made several public appeals for the safe return of her daughter, there were a couple of people who were suspicious about the mother's occasionally questionable behaviour. The family liaison officer assigned to the case, Detective Constable Christine Freeman, was one such person. She appears in The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, but speaking to The Telegraph in 2017, Freeman recalled how she felt like something was a bit odd from the get-go. "When I got to the house Karen and her boyfriend, Craig Meehan, were playing on an X-Box. Karen hardly looked up," she said. "After a few minutes my phone rang. I had a pop song as my ringtone and Karen got up and started dancing to it. I remember thinking 'this is really odd'." Detective Constable Freeman wasn't the only one to suspect something unusual was at play; Karen's close friend, Natalie Brown, also began to doubt the authenticity of her friend's story. "Karen came to stay at my house and when the TV cameras weren't around I realised that it was as if she didn't care. She was back to her normal, happy self," The Mirror reports she said. On another occasion, referenced in Prime Video's docuseries, Karen was heard exclaiming that she should let her kids go missing more often, after a fellow customer offered to pay for her meal at a local fish and chips restaurant. As we explain here, the investigation into Shannon's whereabouts came to an end following a local tip-off. Thankfully, the missing girl was found alive, but for the duration of her abduction, Shannon had been kept – tethered and drugged – at the home of Michael Donovan, her stepfather's uncle. Upon his arrest, he indicated that Karen had been involved from the beginning, alleging that the pair planned to split the reward money. Following the suggestion that she had played a part in Shannon's abduction, Karen was brought in for questioning but struggled to keep her story straight. Initially, the mum-of-seven denied any involvement and claimed that Michael Donovan was lying. She later changed her statement, claiming that she asked him to look after Shannon as she intended to split up with her boyfriend, Craig Meehan, and needed support with the children while she did so. Across several interviews, Karen's story changed again and again, and it wasn't until she was confronted by her friends, Julie and Natalie, that she eventually came clean, resulting in her arrest. Following a trial at Leeds Crown Court which began in December 2008, both Karen Matthews and Michael Donovan were sentenced to eight years in prison, after being found guilty of kidnap and false imprisonment, as well as perverting the course of justice. Karen, who is now in her late forties, served only half of her sentence and changed her name upon her release, according to Prime Video's documentary. Little is known about her current whereabouts, but in a 2018 interview with The Mirror, Karen spoke out for the first time about life after several years in prison, telling the paper she was "scared [she'll] die lonely and alone." Maintaining her innocence and lack of involvement in the kidnap of her daughter – despite having been found guilty and serving a prison sentence for the crime – Karen went on: "I'm not Britain's worst mum. I didn't kill anybody... From the start I didn't know where she was. Others were involved. I didn't have a clue." "You can't kidnap your own child," Karen added. "I know the truth and I wasn't involved in it. I still have nightmares thinking that it's all going to happen again." As for what happened to her former boyfriend, Craig Meehan, although he was apparently not involved in the kidnap plot, he was later found to have been in possession of child pornography, for which he was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison. The child pornography was not thought to be related to the Shannon Matthews case, but he went into hiding following these charges, and was spotted out in public for the first time last year. He was reportedly seen buying beer and scratch cards, before retreating into a bookies. Julie Bushby – who played a major role in the community search for Shannon Matthews – stayed in contact with Karen for the duration of her imprisonment. According to prison letters written by Karen to Julie, the friend used to buy clothes and luxuries for the shamed mother, and recently she opened up about the experience. Speaking on This Morning on 12 August 2025, Julie recalled visiting Karen in prison and described how she was often unable to give her friend answers to the questions she so desperately sought. "I had so many questions. I used to go visit her at prison. I asked her the same questions," she said. "It was a different story each time I went." Following Karen's release from prison, and decision to change her identity, it's unclear if she and Julie are still in contact. The Hunt for Shannon Matthews, a two-part documentary series, is available to stream on Prime Video from Sunday 17 August.
Irish Examiner
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Anthony Daly: Something special happening in Dublin hurling again, but this is Cork's time
I may be emphasising my age here by saying that I've never played an X-Box or PlayStation, but the one time in my life that I felt as if I was playing virtual hurling in real time was the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final against Cork when I was the Dublin manager. You can only ever do so much on the line but in my nine years as an inter-county manager, I never felt as much in charge of an evenly matched big game in terms of trying to tactically direct it to the way we had planned – because it was working exactly as how we had scripted it. This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in Take us with you this summer. Annual €130€65 Best value Monthly €12€6 / month
Wales Online
31-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
I always think 'Did I hug him enough? Did I tell him I loved him enough?'
I always think 'Did I hug him enough? Did I tell him I loved him enough?' Leon Montanari's wish as he laid in his hospital bed was to help others. But a tragic discovery from him mum led to something very special Leon Montanari died in October 2009 (Image: Julie Montanari ) While teenager Leon Montanari was in his hospital bed he made a list. His time in a ward allowed him time to brainstorm ideas on what he could do to help others in the form of the little old televisions in hospital, which he wanted to fix to allow other patients to be more entertained. He and his mum Julie Montanari, at his bedside, discussed raising money to fund remote controls, aerials and scart leads, and maybe even purchase a games console if there was enough money left over. But Leon, of Clydach, in Swansea, tragically did not live long enough to see the plan come to fruition. Only five days later after putting pen to paper, he sadly passed away on October 30, 2009 at the Children's Hospital of Wales's Heulwen ward in Cardiff. He was just 13. Leon was born with a rare heart condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome which affects normal blood flow through the left side of the heart. Despite weighing a healthy 8lb 12oz when he was born, he was given just three days to live but made it to ten months, when he was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital for a life-saving heart transplant. The youngster also suffered with epilepsy, but was a spirited young boy who remained relatively healthy until he was ten years old and his body began to reject the new heart. Leon shares a first cuddle with his mum after his heart transplant, age 10 months (Image: Julie Montanari ) Testament to his courageous personality, Leon never let on to others how ill he felt despite his suffering and always wanted to stay active. On his last evening at the hospital in 2009, Leon texted his friends: 'Goodnight, I love you'. Grieving the loss of her son, Julie discovered the list he had written in his bag when collecting his belongings. The discovery was something that was to kick-start an amazing charity fund which has helped thousands of people across Wales, creating a lasting legacy all in Leon's name. Ms Montanari said: "The original thing was to get money for remote controls, aerials and scart leads, for those old little televisions in the hospital, and we wanted to raise enough to buy a PlayStation or an X-Box, that was Leon's wish. He didn't want to see any children without a TV, because he was in hospital for so long and there wasn't any televisions which worked. "The same week as Leon died, [and] we made a little list. I had to come home on the Monday because my father had passed away, and I went back to see Leon on the Thursday, after arranging the funeral and everything, because Leon was on a transplant list to have his second heart transplant. We'd made the list on the Monday and I forgot all about it. Leon died the on the Friday, and when I unpacked his bag there was the list." Ms Montanari launched the Leon Heart Fund on October 30, 2009, created as a means of supporting the children and families who attend the cardiac wards at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and the Special Care Baby Unit at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, providing small grants to help parents with hospital expenses for the paediatric cardiology department at University Hospital of Wales. Opening up on how things are for her and Leon's family 16 years on after losing him, she said: "I look at life now and I think you have to live each day. Material things are nice, but they are not everything. Your health is the most important over anything - money, anything. As long as you are happy and healthy, you have got your family, that's all that matters. People don't appreciate that. "I keep thinking to myself 'if only I could have him back for one more hug'. You always think 'Did I hug him enough? Did I tell him I loved him enough?' "I always wonder should I have nagged a bit more, and you wonder did I do enough. I know the doctors were good enough, but you always question yourself. He did suffer from birth, and we had the choice from when he was born on whether to let him go peacefully, but I thought no, I wanted to give him a chance. I wanted to see if any operations could help him or give him a longer life. He was with us for 13 years, and I'm glad. I think I always knew I was on borrowed time. I just wish things were different. "We lived a normal life and I had a normal pregnancy. I asked the nurse 'why are his lips a bit blue', and his nails. I just had an intuition something wasn't right. The nurse kept reassuring me, but then the next day when they came to check him out, within half an hour he was on a life support machine. Those blue lips and nails - I think it was a mother's instinct, you just know something wasn't right. "Leon had so many cardiac arrests through his life but always bounced back. But when he had the last one, I just knew, I thought, he had had enough." Since launching the Leon Heart Fund has achieved its mission whilst also branching off and achieving incredible things for the wider community. Today, what started off as a small hope to fix TVs has now led to £300,000 being raised. The grand opening of Leon's garden, pictured is Cwmtawe staff, Duncan Jones, Justin Tipuric and Dan Baker (Image: Julie Montanari ) Here is some of the latest successful projects funded by the charity. Edenstone Homes paid for the an additional needs outdoor area and safe space at Cwm Tawe Community School on behalf of the charity, complete with a football pitch, sensory path, seating area, decking and floor painting. A forest learning and wellbeing area has been created at the back of the school, complete with benches and planters for children to learn how to grow vegetables. Benches have been installed at Singleton Hospital for the benefit of families in neonatal wards. A sensory area with a climbing frame and bucket swing has been installed at Ysgol Bro Tawe. A bench has been installed at Queen Elizabeth High School in Carmarthen. There has been the installation of £30,000 worth of defibrillators every 500 metres in Swansea Valley communities, maintained by the charity. The charity has won the Heart Arrhythmia Alliance award for Wales, acknowledging its efforts buying watches for outpatient children to carry out ECGs at home, supplied to Cardiff hospital. The charity has sponsored the kits of community rugby, karate and judo teams and clubs. £1,000 a month is sent to families of children in hospital towards accommodation, food, travel and medical related expenses. Hari Keift is fundraising for a new kitchen with disabled access worktops in a school department. The charity sponsors the kits of many sporting groups and clubs (Image: Julie Montanari ) Ms Montanari, a teaching assistant Cwm Tawe Community School, said: "When Leon was in hospital, there were no charities to help at the time. I had to do it all by myself, and I was advised to give up work and claim income support, but I stayed self-employed. It wasn't just Leon - I was losing the house, everything. "That's what drives me now, knowing that other people are going through the same thing, and if I can help them I will. As long as the family needs financial support, we will help. We don't need to know the ins and outs. All I say is for people to make a genuine application, and I will find the money that week. "I think what keeps me going is making a difference to people in the name of Leon. There are a lot of charities around, and it is hard to keep the money coming in. Last year we raised £24,000 and spent £19,000. I am keen to get the money in and I am keen to spend it on things that people need. It is no good sitting in a fund." The charity has received the Arrhythmia Alliance Award Wales. Pictured here with professor Ozun Heart, a cardiologist at University Hospital of Wales (Image: Julie Montanari ) Recalling her son's bravery during his life, Ms Montanari told one story which stood out to her in particular. She said: "He had been in hospital and had a pacemaker put in after having four cardiac arrests in one night, and put a pacing wire through his neck onto a battery pack outside to get him in an ambulance. "Within a week, he was home and was on a trampoline. "He was going to visit a friend and I told him 'don't go far'. I decided to take the dog for a walk and see if he was ok and I saw a pair of trainers doing a flip. I thought 'oh my god', but that's the type he was, very resilient, strong, and a mind of his own. "Speaking to a lot of heart mums, it's the same. The children are funny, witty, and haven't got a care in the world. Those are the sort of kids which teach you. They are going through so much and never moan. They make light of everything, they don't whinge about going to hospital all of the time, they've got a different personality and humour." Leon Montanari dressed as a pirate together with his brother Ross (Image: Julie Montanari ) Ms Montanari explained how her son's legacy lives on, something she sees every day whilst working at the school. She said: "I could be sitting in the classroom and I'll have people say to me 'We've seen you on the internet'. The school does a lot with the charity, it does a fundraiser every year. And I'll have children ask me (about Leon) 'Is that your son?' 'Are you his mother?' It is so touching that his memory is kept alive by new generations, and it's now 16 years this year. You've still got little 11-year-olds coming up to the comp saying 'Are you Leon's mother? My mother knew Leon?' It is a sense of pride." Leon pictured taking part in the British Heart Foundation bike ride (Image: Julie Montanari ) "Every year on his birthday we go out for a meal, and on the anniversary of his death, we do a little gathering in the garden and we let off a big firework. My son Ross went to get a firework this year, and when he lit it there was a massive red heart. It was absolutely beautiful. It was special." Article continues below If you wish to learn more about the Leon Heart Fund and make a donation, you can do so by clicking here.
