Love You To Death - what happened to Lisa and Matthew after her arrest?

He was once dubbed Britain’s sickest child. Now, Matthew Johnson breaks his silence in a groundbreaking documentary. This Wednesday (19 August), Channel 4 revisits the story of Matthew’s mother, Lisa Hayden-Johnson, in its three-part series, Love You To Death, exploring the aftermath of Lisa's fight with Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Hailing from the picturesque fishing town of Brixham, Devon, Lisa gained national infamy for a years-long deception during which she claimed Matthew suffered from a series of complex health issues and subjected him to unnecessary medical procedures.

The deceit began shortly after Matthew’s birth in 2001. Lisa alleged he was suffering from severe complications, including cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis and diabetes, as well as acute food allergies.

As time went by, Lisa then stated that Matthew was unable to walk, eat or even breathe without assistance. Meanwhile, Matthew endured 325 medical encounters, which included the use of a wheelchair and feeding tubes.

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The story eventually caught vast media attention, helping Lisa to garner sympathy from members of the public and household names. She met the likes of Queen Camilla Parker-Bowles and former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Amid widespread scrutiny, Lisa’s deceit also brought her financial gain. She's said to have received an estimated £200k in total financial rewards, including around £20,000 a year in state benefits according to The Guardian, alongside thousands of pounds in donations.

Lisa’s lies began to unravel in 2009 after she made a false rape accusation to cover up why Matthew had missed a scheduled appointment for his supposed diabetes.

It was this false allegation that eventually led authorities to examine Matthew’s medical records, ultimately uncovering that he was healthy and suffered from none of the illnesses he had been claimed to have.

It then emerged that Lisa had been pressuring doctors who were adamant her son was in perfect health, threatening them with a lawsuit if they didn’t go her way, while maintaining her experience as a nurse (which was also a lie) allowed her to know what was best for Matthew.

Neighbours had been just as suspicious of Lisa, but were hesitant to voice their opinions as it was publicly accepted that Matthew was ill. Lisa was sentenced to three years and three months in prison in January 2010, after pleading guilty to charges of child cruelty and perverting the course of justice.

During her sentencing, prosecutor Andrew Macfarlane told Exeter Crown Court how Lisa had subjected Matthew to "24-hour-a-day torture".

The defence, on the other hand, told the court that Lisa suffered from a condition called Munchausen syndrome by proxy — a psychological disorder leading a caregiver to induce symptoms of a disease or an injury to their child to create a situation requiring medical attention.

Following Lisa’s arrest, Matthew was taken into care where he was slowly introduced to a normal life before going to live with his father and sister, Laura. He was intent on moving on, but Laura decided otherwise and brought their story to light by approaching a news agency.

Since her stint in prison, Lisa has remained out of the spotlight, much like Matthew and the rest of his family. But as Channel 4 revisits their story, the pair are set to unveil where they stand, almost two decades later, marking Lisa's first-ever TV appearance since her arrest.

Now 25, Matthew works in finance and says he no longer holds anger towards his mother. "I felt like I found closure before the programme. I was in a position where I moved on from it," he said this Wednesday on ITV’s This Morning. "I’m very fortunate that my memories are quite fragmented. So in terms of feeling anger and pain towards the situation, it’s not something I hold."

Matthew cut ties with Lisa a handful of years ago after the pair attempted to mend their relationship. However, their reconciliation broke down.

He explained: "What made me take the decision to cut ties was seeing the way she treated my sister and the lack of accountability. The transparency isn’t there. In the documentary, she doesn't take any accountability for her actions."

Love You To Death's first episode continues this Thursday and Friday (20 and 21 August) from 9pm on Channel 4.