Mother of Baby P just laughed and joked in jail
FORMER INMATE HAD TO HOLD IN HER FURY
FURIOUS female inmates had to contain their anger as Baby P’s mum laughed, joked and bossed them around at a prison reading group.
But a former prisoner who served time with Tracey Connelly in a North East jail said no one could ever get close enough to harm her.
In one of the UK’S most shocking child cruelty cases, Connelly’s son Peter, who was known as Baby P, died in agony after suffering 50 horrifying injuries at his home in North London. But now his mum, who was given an indefinite sentence for causing or allowing the 17-monthold’s death, is preparing to be freed.
There was a national outcry last week when the Parole Board cleared Connelly for release, meaning one of the UK’S most hated women could be back on the streets within weeks.
Now it hast emerged Connelly had reportedly asked for extra protection in prison amid fears inmates will try to attack her before she is freed.
But today a Newcastle woman, who has spent time with Connelly at HMP Low Newton in Durham City, has rubbished Connelly’s claims, saying it’s just an attempt to get a new identity after release.
Julie Mcallister has told how despite being disgusted by Connelly’s crime and her prison behaviour, no other inmates would ever be able to get close enough to attack her.
And the 44-year-old has revealed how she struggled to control her own rage when she watched Connelly laugh and joke during a prison reading group session. Julie, from Kenton, said: “It’s absolute rubbish that people would try to attack her. No one would get a chance. She’s a very manipulative woman.”
It has been reported that Connelly had become fearful for her safety after her parole hearing generated new publicity around her evil crime.
Despite the source’s claims that “after keeping her head down for years” Connolly believes she will be knifed and is almost afraid to venture out of her cell, Julie, who has served several sentences at HMP Low Newton, says Connelly and other women convicted of serious crimes against children are kept segregated in a different ring from other inmates.
And she says it is a constant source of anger that the most evil prisoners live in the best conditions.
“You never even see them,” she said. “She’s in F-wing, it’s self-contained flats. They are all in for murders or harming children. One left her baby to die.
“People talk about them, but no one can get near them. They get the
best conditions, but they have committed the worst crimes. They have their own flats with showers and carpets.”
Julie was released from her most recent sentence at Low Newton just two weeks ago. During a previous spell in jail she once came face to face with Connelly when they both joined the prison’s reading group.
And she describes how she and other inmates watched in anger as controlling Connelly laughed and joked and shouted orders at others.
“She’s an evil woman. I’m a mam myself and to think of what she’s done is horrific,” said Julie.
“I have seen how she manipulates people. I signed up for a reading group and she decided to come. She’s fat with thick hair, she’s very very loud and very manipulative.
“She was dictating to other prisoners. She would just look at a book and say ‘get me that book’. She was treating people like puppets. She was laughing her head off and I just thought ‘how can you have done something like that to a baby and be laughing?’ Seeing her laughing just made me mad. I had to stop myself from jumping over the table.
“But you have to be nice to her in prison because you don’t want to lose your privileges.”
Baby P’s death and the missed opportunities to prevent it left the nation horrified. Despite 60 visits, social workers never attempted to remove Peter from his mum’s care.
Connelly was convicted of causing or allowing the death of Peter in 2009 and handed an indefinite prison sentence with a minimum of five years.
She was released in 2013, but recalled to jail in 2015 after breaching the terms of her licence by selling naked pictures of herself.
Connelly’s parole hearing – her fourth since being recalled to prison – took place on March 15 and 16 via video. The parole board approved her release and it is thought she will be freed in the coming weeks.
A report on the parole hearing said: “At the time of her offending, risk factors had included Ms Connelly not managing certain aspects of her personality, entering into relationships quickly, prioritising those relationships above anything else, thinking about sex a lot and using sex to help her feel better about herself.
“The panel also considered risk factors to include Ms Connelly’s inability to control extreme emotions, her way of life, her decision-making, her low self-esteem, manipulative behaviour, dishonesty, a lack of victim empathy and her difficulties in coping with feelings of anger.”
The report concluded: “After considering the circumstances of her offending and time on licence, progress made in custody, evidence presented at the hearing and the recommendations of witnesses, the panel was satisfied Ms Connelly was suitable for release.”
Connelly’s partner Steven Barker, who was cleared of murder but convicted of causing Baby P’s death, is still serving a life term.
His brother, Jason Owen, got a minimum three years but returned to jail briefly in 2013 after a parole breach. He is believed to be living under a new identity.