Shannon Matthews’ kidnapper Michael Donovan dies 16 years after hoax abduction

The man who helped snatch Shannon Matthews as part of a fake kidnap plot with her mum has reportedly died. Mick Donovan, 54, was arrested after the terrified schoolgirl was found under a bed in his council flat - 24 days after she went missing.

It later emerged that Shannon's mum, Karen Matthews, came up with a plan for the fake abduction so she could try and claim reward money, all while pleading with the nation for help to find her daughter.

Donovan was the uncle of Karen's then boyfriend Craig Meehan. He was also hiding under the bed in the property, just miles from where Shannon went missing on her way home from school in Dewsbury on February 19 in 2008.

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The Sun reports that Donovan, who changed his name to Aiden Johnson, was pronounced dead at Three Valleys Hospital in Keighley, West Yorkshire, yesterday. It was reported that he had collapsed in the secure mental health hospital where he had been for six years following his release from prison in 2012.

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 by cops on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children on his phone. A source told The Sun Donvan, born as Paul Drake, "would not be missed" at the secure unit.

They said: "Nobody really liked him - he was a very unpleasant bloke. He kept to himself but he had a horrible temper if he wasn't happy with something - usually the food."

What happened to Karen Matthews?

Karen Matthews, 48, was sentenced to eight years in prison over the kidnap plot in 2009. She was sent to Peterborough prison before being moved to Foston Hall jail in Derbyshire and served four years of the sentence.

She told a Mirror reporter she "only missed sex and shopping" while behind bars. After her release in 2012, Karen Matthews was given a new home and a new identity in the south of England and was told she wasn't allowed to go anywhere near Dewsbury, or get in touch with Shannon or her six other children who were put into care.