Meehan: I never searched for child porn

The former partner of Shannon Matthews’s mother today told a court in England he had never searched for child pornography on the internet.

Craig Meehan, 22, admitted he had searched the web for adult pornography when he was asked about his computer use at Dewsbury Magistrates Court.

But he denied accessing indecent images of children.

Meehan is on trial accused of possessing 133 images of child abuse on his home computer and a further image on his mobile phone.

The computer was seized by police during the search for nine-year-old Shannon Matthews earlier this year.

It was taken from the home Meehan shared with Shannon and her mother, Karen Matthews on Moorside Road, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

He denies 12 charges of possessing indecent images of children.

Today, David Orbaum, defending, took Meehan in detail through how he downloaded music using the Linewire file-sharing website and other programmes.

Mr Orbaum asked him: “You have viewed and searched for adult pornography?”

Meehan replied: “On some occasions I have, yes.”

The solicitor added: “Have you ever searched for child pornography?”

The defendant replied: “No”.

Supermarket fishmonger Meehan told the court how he and Ms Matthews had a “pretty good relationship” but would argue over her suspicions he was not being faithful.

He said he would sometimes leave the house for a “couple of nights” to stay with his mother following arguments.

Meehan stressed his former partner’s allegations were groundless.

Giving evidence, Meehan said: “It’s been a pretty good relationship. There has been times when we’ve argued.

“She always brings in that I’m cheating on her.”

He described how he spent long periods of time on his own while working at Morrisons in Heckmondwike.

Meehan went on: “She always brings up that I’ve got somebody at work.”

Asked if there was any basis for this suspicion, he said there was not.

And asked how he responded to these arguments, he said: “I’ve always said I’m leaving. I normally stop at mum’s a couple of nights and then she (Ms Matthews) normally had a lot of people in the house.”

He said he could not remember how many times this happened but agreed it was more than six.

Meehan said the longest time he left the house for was just under a week.

“But we always kept in touch,” he told the court.

Meehan was giving evidence on the third day of the trial which is expected to go on until Friday.

He sat in the witness box flanked by two security officers, sporting short brown hair and glasses and wearing a black Manchester United away shirt with “Ronaldo” across his back.