Shannon Matthews’ kidnapper Michael Donovan has died in hospital.
Donovan, 54, snatched schoolgirl Shannon as part of a fake kidnap plot with her mum Karen in 2008. Shannon, nine, was missing for 24 days before she was found hidden in the base of a divan bed at Donovan’s flat just a mile from her home in Dewsbury Moor.
The investigation to find Shannon was West Yorkshire Police’s biggest manhunt since the Ripper.
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Donovan was the uncle of Karen’s then-boyfriend Craig Meehan and was also found hiding under the bed.
It has been reported today that Donovan – who changed his name to Aiden Johnson – was pronounced dead at Three Valleys Hospital in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on Tuesday. He had apparently collapsed in the secure mental health hospital where he had been for six years after his release from prison in 2012.
Both he and Karen were jailed for eight years for their parts in the kidnap plot. Karen was released in April 2012 after serving half of her sentence.
(Image: WYP)
Donovan had been given months to live in February. It came after he was diagnosed with stage 3 throat cancer following a routine check-up.
During Christmas last year, he was investigated on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children and a source told The Sun that Donovan “would not be missed” at the secure unit.
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