Shannon mother's courtroom tears

The court was told Ms Matthews had been demonised by the media

The mother of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews burst into tears as she told a court she was "disgusted" at claims of involvement in her child's abduction.

Karen Matthews denied planning to claim a £50,000 reward after the schoolgirl's disappearance from her Dewsbury home, West Yorkshire, in February.

Ms Matthews, 33, and Michael Donovan, 41, deny several charges at Leeds Crown Court over Shannon's disappearance.

Frances Oldham QC for Ms Matthews said she had been "demonised" by the media.

Mr Donovan, of Lidgate Gardens, Batley Carr, West Yorkshire, and Ms Matthews, of Moorside Road, Dewsbury Moor, deny kidnap, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice in connection with Shannon's disappearance.

The schoolgirl was found in Mr Donovan's flat 24 days after she went missing.

Shannon Matthews disappeared in February

The prosecution claim Shannon was imprisoned as part of a plan hatched by the accused to claim the reward money.

Mrs Oldham told the court: "The media has decided that Karen Matthews is guilty, the police have decided that Karen Matthews is guilty.

"It would be easy to approach Karen Matthews' evidence on the basis she's a liar.

"She has been demonised in the media and you could be forgiven for expecting the worst from her."

In the witness box Ms Matthews was asked if she had planned the kidnap of her daughter.

"I did not," she told the jury.

She also denied threatening to have Mr Donovan killed or have his car burnt out.

Mrs Oldham asked her: "Did you know Shannon was at Lidgate Gardens with Michael Donovan?"

"I did not," she replied.

Karen Matthews was accused of bullying Michael Donovan

Ms Matthews also told the court that her partner at the time of Shannon's disappearance, Craig Meehan, had been violent to her and abusive to her children, apart from Shannon.

Asked about the traces of the drug temazepam found in Shannon's hair, Ms Matthews denied having the drug in the house.

She also denied ever having visited Mr Donovan's home.

After the court was shown a televised appeal by Ms Matthews, made during Shannon's disappearance, she denied that she had been play-acting.

She also said she was scared of her former partner Mr Meehan and said lying to the police had been his idea.

She said Mr Meehan told her to "take the blame for Shannon because she had no convictions, was female and would get off lightly".

Alan Conrad QC, for Mr Donovan, accused Ms Matthews of "putting on a staged performance" during the three weeks Shannon was missing as well as her evidence to the jury.

He described her as "an accomplished liar" who saw his client "as someone to take advantage of and bully".

The case continues.