Shannon's stepfather appears in court

The partner of Shannon Matthews’ mother arrived at court today to face charges of possessing child pornography.

Supermarket fishmonger Craig Meehan, 22, was driven into court, in West Yorkshire, in the UK where he is due to appear accused of 11 specimen offences of possession of indecent images of children.

It is alleged Meehan possessed 140 indecent images of children graded at levels one to four – on a scale where one is the least serious and five is the most serious.

They were allegedly found on two computers at the family home in Dewsbury where he has lived with Karen Matthews for around five years.

Meehan was arrested on April 2 by officers investigating the disappearance of Shannon.

The nine-year-old went missing on February 19 and was discovered hidden in the base of a bed in a flat in Batley Carr, just one mile from her home in Dewsbury after a 24-day search by police.

Meehan’s uncle, Michael Donovan, 39, has been charged with Shannon’s kidnap and imprisonment.

His trial has been provisionally set for November 11 at Leeds Crown Court.

Karen Matthews, 32, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice.

She was remanded in custody and will next appear at Leeds Crown Court on April 16.

Yesterday, Meehan’s mother Alice, 49, and her daughters Amanda Hyett, 25, and Caroline Meehan, 29, were also arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

All three were later released on bail pending further inquiries.