Who was Baby P and what happened to his mother?

Tracey Connelly admits at a parole hearing that she has lied and deceived, having twice been sent back to prison for breaching her licence conditions

Tracey Connelly, the mother of the abused child known as Baby P, admitted she has "lied" and been manipulative in a hearing this week as she bids to be released from prison.

Her son Peter Connelly died aged 17 months in 2007 after suffering more than 50 injuries over eight months, sparking national outrage and the conviction of his mother.

Tracey Connelly was convicted in 2009 of causing or allowing his death, alongside her then-boyfriend Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen.

At a hearing on Tuesday, she said: “As much as I would like to say no, I have lied, I have deceived, so I have to accept that is fair.”

A hearing is continuing this week as she seeks another parole from prison, having been readmitted twice already.

Read More: Baby P’s evil mother sent back to prison over secret fling with man she met online

Read More: Baby P's mother, Tracey Connelly, 'recalled to prison' for second time after breaching licence conditions

Peter Connelly was a 17-month-old toddler who died in Tottenham, North London, in August 2007 after suffering months of abuse.

The boy 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.

Media reports and court hearings revealed the baby's biological father had moved out not long after the birth and his mother, Tracey Connelly, invited her boyfriend, Steven Barker, to move in towards the end of 2006.

Connelly was arrested after a GP noticed bruises on Peter's face in December 2006 and took him back from a family friend a month later.

She was re-arrested in May 2007 after hospital medics noticed further scars, scratches, and injuries when he came in for treatment. Peter again went into the care of family friends.

In June and July, the police and authorities were notified that the injuries were likely the result of child abuse, but Haringey Council's Children & Young People's Service ruled that the threshold for initiating care proceedings had not been met. Peter then returned to Connelly.

On August 1, Peter was again in hospital. Connelly was told she would not be prosecuted as serious injuries, including a broken back and fractured ribs, likely went undetected and would not be discovered until a post-mortem.

On August 3, Peter was rushed to North Middlesex Hospital after he was found unresponsive in his cot and medics were unable to resuscitate him. Medical records showed he had swallowed a tooth after being punched and also had mutilated fingertips and missing fingernails.

He had been known as 'Baby P' and later Baby Peter in the media before his full name, Peter Connelly, was revealed when initial court hearings finished in 2009.

Peter is buried at St Pancras and Islington Cemetery, where flowers have been left.

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.

She was released on licence in 2013 but was recalled to prison in 2015 for breaching her parole conditions.

Connelly left prison again 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”.

However, in 2024 she was recalled to prison once more after starting a relationship with a man she met online without telling officials supervising her.

She is now attempting to be eligible for parole again.

At a hearing this week, Connelly admitted she has "lied and been manipulative".

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.”

Her ex-partner, Steven Barker, is still in prison, and his brother, Jason Owen, was released after two years.