Missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews visited her uncle 24 hours before she disappeared and tearfully begged to stay the night, he revealed last night.
Martin Matthews says the nine-year-old said she was too frightened to go home and pleaded with him: "Please can I stay here tonight - I can't go home because I'm in trouble."
Jane and Gordon Matthews with uncle Martin (centre)
She said she was told off by her stepfather Craig Meehan for swearing during a row. Last night Martin told the Sunday Mirror: "She sobbed all the way home because she was frightened. But I told her to go back. I regret it now. The next day she vanished."
Martin - who is Shannon's mum Karen's brother - has been joined by the girl's grandparents in breaking their silence to claim Karen's children were physically abused by fishmonger Craig - allegations which Craig last night branded "bull***t".
Martin, 42, said: "She's been around here on many occasions saying the same thing: crying, saying she doesn't want to go home, saying 'I hate living there'. She's showed me bruises on her arms and said Craig had lashed out at her. He does lash out."
There have been no confirmed sightings of the schoolgirl since she left Westmoor Junior School in Dewsbury at 3.10pm on February 19, following a school swimming trip. Martin went on: "She came here at tea time the day before. She is good friends with my kids, Tyler and Levi and often comes here to play.
"But this time it was different. She was upset and kept asking to stay the night. For some reason she didn't want to go home."
Martin told how sobbing Shannon pleaded: "Please let me stay here. I don't want to go home. I'm in trouble."
He continued: "She said she had an argument with Craig and swore at him. As a result she was grounded.
"I told her she really shouldn't stay and she should go home, especially if she was grounded and asked Tyler, my 10-year-old daughter, to walk her home.
"When Tyler got back she said Shannon had cried all the way.
"My two kids saw Shannon the next morning. They told me she said she'd had an argument with her mum and that Karen had screamed at her to get out of the house and not to come back. They have been questioned by the police and have told them everything."
Detectives, who have launched a massive hunt, fear she was abducted as she tried to make her way to her dad Leon Rose's home 10 miles away after telling pals she wanted to "run away".
Mum-of-seven Karen, 32, and Craig, 22, have made desperate television appeals for her to come home.
But Karen's parents June and Gordon Matthews have spoken exclusively to the Sunday Mirror to claim Shannon shared an unhappy home life with her brothers and sisters. They say they tried to persuade Karen to leave Craig in the weeks leading up to Shannon's disappearance amid a string of family bust-ups.
June, 64 - who raised Shannon for the first few months from birth - said: "We don't believe Craig is any good for Karen and the kids and we want to put that on record.
"We have never seen him beat Shannon with our own eyes, but the kids have said it's happened.
"We're not saying this lightly, we know how serious these allegations are, but Karen needs to tell him to leave. We're doing this for her sake and the children's sake." She said things had not been right ever since Karen had got together with Craig four years ago.
She added: "Karen was a great mum before she took Craig in. Those kids were loved and cared for. Since he arrived they've had a terrible life."
She said one of Karen's children had run away from home four times since Craig moved into the home.
She went on: "Me and Gordon went up there on a Sunday before Christmas to give Karen some money for gas. Karen wasn't in but Craig was.
"One of the children (who the Sunday Mirror has chosen not to name) was on the stairs, holding their stomach and crying.
"I asked what had happened and the child said 'Craig, punch, punch, punch. He punched my belly'.
"The child was shaking and crying. I told Karen these kids have an awful life but she just accuses me of interfering. Another of the children also said Craig had hit them. They said: 'Grandma he's hit me, he's hurt me'.
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"A child doesn't run away from home for nothing, they run away because they are really frightened."
She added: "Shannon was frightened of him too. I've been round before when Shannon was at the top of the stairs, shivering. She had been sent upstairs with no dinner.
"When I asked Karen what was going on, she told me Craig was punishing her."
June claims Karen turned up at her house on the day Shannon went missing saying she needed to talk. She said: "Karen had a black eye. She said she'd had an argument with Craig. It was clear she was upset.
"She told me she'd had a fall but I knew there was more to it. She'd been rowing with Craig that morning - all the kids would have seen that.
"She said she'd fallen against a cupboard but you don't get a shiner like that falling against a cupboard.
"I asked her if Craig had done it but she said 'no'. On the Monday night they'd had an argument.
"They fight a lot. I asked if they'd had a row and she said it was just a tiff, she always covers up for him.
"I don't trust him with those children, Karen's sticking up for him and saying he would never hurt those kids but there are too many lies." She added: "Karen left in a taxi that afternoon to pick up her son Cameron from school. Later that night the police came round to tell us Shannon had gone. It's devastating.
"Shannon was too scared to go home that night. Karen should have picked her up from school but now it is too late."
She added: "I have said in the past 'What do you want, beaten up kids or Craig?' She said he had to punish them. Karen let a man of 22 years of age hurt her children."
Karen has seven children to six different dads. Tony, 11, Shannon, nine, Cameron, five, and Courtney, two, all live with her.
Her three other children - Ian, 10, Kelly, six and Daniel, seven, live with their fathers. June told how she loved to take Shannon to the local playground.
She said: "We would often walk up to the park in the afternoons - she loved to play there.
"It is 18 days today since Shannon disappeared. We have a bedroom here for the kids, and a toy room. She loved staying here with us. I just pray she will do again one day soon.
"I've barely eaten for a week I'm so worried. And I've walked in on my husband sobbing his heart out. We are down to rock bottom.
"At church we all prayed for her safe return. They played the Westlife song, Come home. It was heartbreaking.
"It's been hell since she went. I wake up at night and think I can hear her tapping on the door, wanting to be let in. I'd give anything to see her little face at the door. I keep expecting it to happen.
"The police told us that with every day that goes by there is less chance of finding her. But we can't think like that. I love her so much."
Days after Shannon went missing her grandparents and her uncle were questioned by police. Their homes were searched but all three were cleared of any wrong-doing.
Last night Craig said of the allegations: "I thought June would say that. Karen's mum wants to rule Karen's life. I've been with Karen for four years now. I have never hit her or any of the children.
"We play about, as you do, but me and Karen have a brilliant relationship. I was working on the Monday night before she went missing so I don't know if she came home upset. I work stupid hours a day so I couldn't do it anyway and I wouldn't.
"Loads of people will tell you that I won't do it. There is no point. I love those kids. I know they're not mine but I treat them like they are.
"June is lying because she doesn't like me. She wants to tell Karen what she can and can't do. There is only me who works. I bring money into the home. I feed them. They get everything. My money goes on Karen, bills and the kids.
"No one in Shannon's family likes me. I don't know why. I don't care about these accusations. All I want is Shannon back. No one can accuse me. I know what's true and Karen knows what's true."
'Shannon showed me bruises.. Craig does lash out'
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