Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P, has admitted she can be manipulative and opportunistic as she continued her bid for freedom after almost a year’s pause.
Connelly, now in her 40s, told her parole hearing that she “hated every minute” of hearing about the “lifelong” pain and suffering of her victims, and that she would have pleaded guilty to historical neglect of her children if charges had been brought against her.
Connelly was jailed at the Old Bailey in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of her 17-month-old son Peter at their home in Tottenham, north London, on August 3 2007. Her then-boyfriend, Steven Barker, and his brother, Jason Owen, were convicted of the same crime.
Public parole hearings and adjournment
Known publicly as Baby P, Peter had suffered more than 50 injuries, despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, police officers and health professionals over eight months.
Public parole hearings took place for Connelly last October, but the case was adjourned for almost a year after the panel decided there needed to be a further psychological assessment and a forensic examination of the mobile phone Connelly used in the community before her recall in August 2024 for breaching licence conditions.
Connelly’s evidence and family statements
Asked whether she would accept descriptions of her as manipulative and opportunistic as she gave evidence on Tuesday, Connelly said: “The terminology is not nice. As much as I would like to say no, I have lied, I have deceived, so I have to accept that is fair.”
She denied being skilful at deceit, saying: “I don’t necessarily think I’m that skilful because their risk management plan has worked – they found out I was doing wrong and they called me back for it. I’m back in prison. I just think I make mistakes and I kind of get myself into this loop and I suddenly struggle to get out of it.”
Earlier, the panel heard private statements read on behalf of members of Peter’s family – who are “statutory victims” – about the ongoing impact of his death and their concerns about Connelly’s potential release.
Asked how it felt hearing those statements, Connelly told the parole hearing: “I hated every minute of it because I know that their pain and their suffering is on me. I made decisions and choices that led to every moment of their pain and suffering and I can never apologise for that. I understand that my impact on them has been lifelong.”
Historical neglect and release plans
She admitted her parenting had been “horrendous”. The hearing was told about a charge of historical neglect that was being pursued against her in 2018 but ultimately not proceeded with.
“I would have wholeheartedly pleaded guilty for that,” she said. “I said if they wanted to charge me for all of my children I would have pleaded guilty.”
She accepted she was physically abusive towards her children and neglected their basic needs, that she turned a blind eye to their suffering and that she misled authorities which, if she had not done so, might have protected Peter and other children from abuse.
Connelly was adamant that she had no plans to engage with children if she is released. “I do not want to be around other people’s children because I know how bad I was with my own,” she said.
Connelly was recalled to prison in 2024 after failing to disclose a sexual relationship with a man, saying she was embarrassed to tell supervisors because he was married. She admitted deleting messages exchanged between them, including “personal images”, even though she knew she was not meant to.
A psychologist assessed Connelly has changed on the surface but questions remain over how deep that runs, the panel heard. Connelly’s prison offender manager, community offender managers and the psychologist expressed confidence in the risk management plan and recommended release with conditions.
Previous release and appeals
Parole hearings are usually held in private, but a judge previously approved applications for Connelly’s review to be heard in public. A series of reviews identified missed opportunities for officials to save Peter’s life had they reacted properly to warning signs.
Connelly had admitted the offence of causing or allowing the death of her son and was handed a sentence of imprisonment for public protection with a minimum term of five years.
Connelly left prison in July 2022 after the Parole Board ruled she was suitable for release in March that year – after hearing she was considered to be at “low risk of committing a further offence” and that probation officers and prison officials supported the plan. This was despite the panel highlighting concerns over Connelly’s ability to manipulate and deceive, and hearing evidence of how she had become embroiled in prison romances and traded secret love letters with an inmate.
Then-justice secretary Dominic Raab appealed against the decision, but a judge rejected his bid to keep her behind bars. She had previously been released on licence in 2013 but was recalled to prison in 2015 for breaching her parole conditions. Officials rejected three previous bids in 2015, 2017 and 2019 for Connelly to be released.
The public part of the hearing has concluded and the Parole Board’s decision is expected at a later date.
