Shannon Matthews - A Lost Career

[Easy 10]

Thanks for that insight Edna, but I'm even more confused than ever.

What was the original motive of the kidnap? Obviously a newspaper could only have offered a reward after the poor girl was 'kidnapped.'

The plan was that Shannon would go "missing", and a newspaper would put up a reward (in this case, £50k from The Sun). Shannon was then going to be released in Dewsbury Market, whereupon - in view of all the CCTV cameras there - she would be "found" by this uncle who had kept her drugged and captive for however long he'd kept her at his flat.

He'd then pick up the £50k reward, split it with the lovely Karen, and everyone goes home happy.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

The plan was that Shannon would go "missing", and a newspaper would put up a reward (in this case, £50k from The Sun). Shannon was then going to be released in Dewsbury Market, whereupon - in view of all the CCTV cameras there - she would be "found" by this uncle who had kept her drugged and captive for however long he'd kept her at his flat.

He'd then pick up the £50k reward, split it with the lovely Karen, and everyone goes home happy.

... and of course, no-one would ever ask little Shannon what she'd been doing for 6 weeks.

 

[Easy 10]

... and of course, no-one would ever ask little Shannon what she'd been doing for 6 weeks.

Well, who'd going to believe a nine year old thats been drugged up to the eyeballs for the past six months ? They probably promised her a PS3 or something.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Well, who'd going to believe a nine year old thats been drugged up to the eyeballs for the past six months ? They probably promised her a PS3 or something.

True. Aren't all 9 year olds drugged up, carrying knives these days anyway.

 

[Garage_Doors]

It was reported during the search that the Karen had asked the McCann's fund raisers if they could have some money for their search fund,
It does not seem improbable they saw all the money being generated by the McCann publicity wagon and thought it would be easy money, not thinking that police would ask questions !

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'm staggered as to how thick this woman is.

 

[Simster]

Just as a side issue, does anyone else think the police statement was bordering on farcicle? They described Karen Mathews as "pure evil". Clearly she's white trash, Waynetta Slob, an utter simpleton and cold and heartless enough to put her child through misery, but let's face facts here, she's no Harold Shipman or Baby P parent is she? Or even another Tobin for that matter (the big story earlier in the week).

"Pure evil"? ? ? For fucks sake, give me a break.

 

[Simster]

I'm staggered as to how thick this woman is.

Some are born brains, and some with looks. Which queue was she standing in when the brains were being dished out?

 

[Easy 10]

I thought the "pure evil" remark was a bit odd as well.
They also described her as a "calculating liar" - she's clearly as thick as pigshit, with all the "calculating" ability of a diseased shrub.

 

[Trufflehound]

Inspired by the reward offered for finding Maddy Prior no doubt.

They should have just looked for my hat.

She was all around there somewhere.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Just as a side issue, does anyone else think the police statement was bordering on farcicle? They described Karen Mathews as "pure evil". Clearly she's white trash, Waynetta Slob, an utter simpleton and cold and heartless enough to put her child through misery, but let's face facts here, she's no Harold Shipman or Baby P parent is she? Or even another Tobin for that matter (the big story earlier in the week).

"Pure evil"? ? ? For fucks sake, give me a break.

I thought his comments about benefits were a bit out of place as well, all it has done is engender a Daily Mail style single mum frenzy with lots of people blurting out statistics which pretty much all differ.

Maybe he should stick to solving crime?

 

[Pavilionaire]

I heard the "pure evil" comment and thought it was wrong. The 5Live phone-in this morning asked the question "Is Karen Matthews pure evil or just greedy and stupid". Clearly, it's the latter.

You have to wonder whether the police are trying to big up the story to put it in the Crime Premier League so that their personal standing is elevated also. Maybe the copper's looking for a book deal, or he thinks he's Batman?

 

[Screaming J]

I heard the "pure evil" comment and thought it was wrong. The 5Live phone-in this morning asked the question "Is Karen Matthews pure evil or just greedy and stupid". Clearly, it's the latter.

Surely its both? How can it not be evil to plan to get your own daughter kidnapped and then split the reward money with another complete scrote.

Ok she's not Fred West and she hasn't actually killed anyone. But she drugged her own daughter for years before the kidnap acording to the phorensic analysis.

And whilst I know that social work procedures are crap I am a bit fed up with them being blamed for everything. What happened to personal responsibility ffs? Anyone can choose to be a good person or parent if they want to be. Poverty and/or a difficult family background may be a factor but I don't see why it should be used as an excuse for behaving like a complete and utter shit.

 

[DIFFBROOK]

I feel most sorry for the poor little girl, Shannon. After all, the one person in our lives who we believe we can trust the most is our mother. She has lost even that.

What future does she have? A very poor one. A future in care, probably passed from one foster family to the next.

As for her mother, well evil she is not. An uncaring mother, willing to use her daughter for financial gain more like.

Still, if you look into Karen Matthews childhood, not that I am excusing her for what she did, she too had a crap upbringing. This sort of benefit dependent, lack of aspiration, lack of sex education culture somehow needs to be broken. And it aint a case of simply cutting benefits and forced sterilisation that Daily Mail readers would like.

What is needed is the better schools, the best teachers, the smallest classes in these areas, so that kids can be better educated, have aspirations, go to university (and there be grants that allow them to attend), also better sex education. Maybe these parents could be paid (not hundreds of pounds) for their kids to go to school, and an increasing amount as their child education improves. Yes, it will cost a lot of money, yes it will take at least 18 years before we see results. But surely its better to reward aspiration, than to simply pay benefits for ever more for generations of these families.

 

[Perry Milkins]

The Burl Ives one was one of my best.

And how did that one go?

 

[footychick]

Surely its both? How can it not be evil to plan to get your own daughter kidnapped and then split the reward money with another complete scrote.

Ok she's not Fred West and she hasn't actually killed anyone. But she drugged her own daughter for years before the kidnap acording to the phorensic analysis.

And whilst I know that social work procedures are crap I am a bit fed up with them being blamed for everything. What happened to personal responsibility ffs? Anyone can choose to be a good person or parent if they want to be. Poverty and/or a difficult family background may be a factor but I don't see why it should be used as an excuse for behaving like a complete and utter shit.

You're right.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Pure evil is Hitler / Saddam / Milosevic / Bin Laden, i.e. a complete disregard for human life. Matthews is not in that league.

Sure, she mistreated her own daughter repeatedly over time, but her desire for cash combined with her pig-shit thick brain created this f***ed-up kidnap scenario. She is a very bad person, but not pure evil.

 

[Perry Milkins]

They should have just looked for my hat.

She was all around there somewhere.

I would like to advise you that I got that joke.

Was she wearing the 'green willow'.

 

[Simster]

You're right.

No.

Pure evil is Hitler / Saddam / Milosevic / Bin Laden, i.e. a complete disregard for human life. Matthews is not in that league.

Sure, she mistreated her own daughter repeatedly over time, but her desire for cash combined with her pig-shit thick brain created this f***ed-up kidnap scenario. She is a very bad person, but not pure evil.

This is the right answer.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's weird when you see the footage after Shannon's discovery and the mother's apparent non-plussed reaction.

With hindsight you can see the body language, eyes and facial expressions are clearly not right, and I was wondering how many experts in this field twigged that immediately.