Karen Matthews ‘forced to leave carer job after getting too close to pensioner’s husband’
A woman who was dubbed ‘Britain’s worst mum’ for faking her daughter’s abduction has been sacked just weeks after getting a job as a carer.
Karen Matthews, 44, who was jailed in 2008 for plotting to kidnap her daughter Shannon, then aged nine, to claim reward money, has been paid to care for an elderly woman she met at church.
However, after just weeks of cleaning and cooking for her new employer, 65, the mum was allegedly banned for getting ‘too close’ to the pensioner’s husband.
Matthews landed the job after a hospital stay left the frail woman unable to care for herself.
The elderly woman allegedly fell out with the ex-convict over fears Matthews and her husband were getting too close.
The husband, 70, is said to have claimed their relationship was an innocent friendship.
A source close to the couple told the Mirror: ‘They are devout Christians and took pity on Karen after meeting her at church.
‘They know what she did but gave her a second chance.
‘They paid her to come round every day to help care for the woman and do the housework. At first, things were great and they were glad of the help in the house but soon things became tense.’
She has previously denied claims that Eric Anderson, 72, who gave her money and took her to KFC, was her ‘sugar daddy’.
Matthews was jailed for her role in the fake kidnap of her daughter Shannon to get the £50,000 reward in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire over 10 years ago.
Matthews was convicted of child neglect and perverting the course of justice after the child was found to have been drugged and hidden in the base of a divan bed 24 days after she was reported missing.
The mum, who has seven children with five dads, served four years of her eight year jail sentence.
He accomplice Michael Donovan, also known as Paul Drake, went to the police to say he had ‘found’ Shannon and claimed the reward money.
Donovan was convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment and also sentenced to eight years.
Got a story for Metro.co.uk?
If you have a story for our news team, email us at webnews@metro.co.uk.