Mother sentenced for daughter's kidnapping

LONDON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A woman in England was sentenced Friday to eight years in prison for kidnapping and imprisoning her 9-year-old daughter, officials said.

Karen Matthews, 33, was sentenced in Leeds Crown Court, The Times of London reported.

Also sentenced to eight years behind bars was Michael Donovan, 40, for his role in the plot he and Matthews hatched to claim a reward offered by a national newspaper.

Last month, they were found guilty of kidnapping, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.

"The offenses that you committed were truly despicable," the judge told them. "It is impossible to conceive how you could have found it in you to put this young girl through the ordeal that you inflicted upon her."

Shannon Matthews, now 10, was reported missing by her mother after the girl failed to return home after a swimming lesson. She had been taken by Donovan, the newspaper reported.

The Telegraph reported that Shannon was found in Donovan's flat 24 days after she went missing.

The West Yorkshire Police waged a multimillion dollar search for the girl, which was the largest search ever conducted by the department.