Shannon's lying mother faces jail for kidnap

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Unanimous guilty verdicts were returned for mother-of-seven Karen Matthews, 33, for kidnap, false imprisonment and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Michael Donovan, 40, the uncle of Matthews's former boyfriend who had held the nine-year-old girl for 24 days in his flat, was found guilty of the same charges. Mr Justice McCombe told the pair they face a "substantial custodial sentence". He adjourned sentencing for reports.

Outside Leeds crown court, Crown lawyers attacked not only Matthews' and Donovan's abuse of public service and money, and of "a child's trust for personal gain". Crown Prosecution Service reviewing lawyer Malcolm Taylor added: "This was a story of total disregard for their family and the public. [Matthews] lied, lied and lied again."

Donovan has suffered beatings in prison during the trial and Matthews can expect little sympathy from fellow inmates after today's verdicts.

For almost four weeks in February and March this year the nation was consumed by the Shannon Matthews story.

On 19 February Matthews reported her daughter missing, beginning a police hunt which was to cost the taxpayer £3.2 million. Detectives were taken off murder and rape inquries to help and TV cameras stood by outside the Matthews home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

But it was all a scam hatched by Matthews and Donovan, who was to keep Shannon drugged and bound in nearby Batley Carr. Their aim was to release Shannon, then "find" her and claim the reward offered by the media for her safe return.

Mr Taylor added: "The people of Dewsbury gave unstinting assistance to the hunt for a defenceless child whom they thought was missing during the coldest part of the year."