Baby's P's mother becomes friends with convicted killer Helen Caudwell

Baby P’s mother ‘becomes friends with child killer’ who smothered daughter, three, as she’s pictured on shopping trip while staying at taxpayer-funded hostel after release from prison

• Baby P’s mother Tracey Connolly, 41, was pictured shopping in her new town 
• She has reportedly grown close to fellow killer Helen Caudwell in their hostel
• Caudwell was jailed after smothering her daughter Bethany, three, in 2009 

The mother of Baby P has made friends with a killer mother who smothered her young daughter, following their release from prison.

Tracey Connolly, 41, who earned the loathing of a nation after details emerged of the cruelty she inflicted on her toddler son Peter before his death in 2007, was recently pictured out shopping while wearing headphones.

Now living in a halfway house, Connolly has reportedly grown close to fellow resident Helen Caudwell, 54, who throttled her three-year-old daughter Bethany with a pyjama case in October 2009, The Mirror reports.

Caudwell, who tried to kill herself after her crime, is now living with Connolly at an unnamed hostel in the north of England.

A source described the pair as ‘mates’ and said ‘they’re always talking to each other’.

Tracey Connolly, 41, who earned the loathing of a nation after details emerged of the cruelty she inflicted on her toddler son Peter before his death in 2007, was recently pictured out shopping while wearing headphones

Connolly has reportedly made friends with Helen Caudwell, who smothered her three-year-old daughter Bethany in 2006

They added: ‘Tracey very rarely leaves the building. A couple of girls have been warned not to bully her. They’re told not to judge each other’s crimes.

‘They hate what she did but they just have to live with it. If they say anything, they’re threatened with being recalled to prison.

‘There are normal girls in there along with child killers. They just have to accept it. If Tracey does go out, she wears a mask or puts her hood up. She’s on a tag. But she just spends most of her time lounging around.’

Other residents in the halfway house have reportedly been told to ‘be nice’ to Connolly.

Connolly was given parole last year despite a last-ditch bid by Deputy PM Dominic Raab.

She was given an indefinite term with a minimum of five years in 2009 for causing or allowing the death of 17-month-old Peter in Tottenham, North London, in August 2007. 

Baby P, was tortured to death in 2007 by Connelly’s lover Steven Barker (left) and his brother Jason Owen (right) at their home in Tottenham, north London

Baby P: A timeline of the tragedy that shocked Britain 

March 1, 2006: Peter Connelly (Baby P) is born

August 3, 2007: 17-month-old Baby P is found dead in cot

November 11, 2008: Peter’s mother, Tracey Connelly, boyfriend Steven Barker and brother Jason Owen are convicted of causing his death

November 13, 2008: Ed Balls orders an inquiry into the role of the council, health authority and police

December 1, 2008: An independent review declares Haringey’s child protection services ‘inadequate’

December 8, 2008: Haringey Children’s Services boss Sharon Shoesmith is sacked with immediate effect

May 22, 2009: Connelly is jailed indefinitely, Barker gets a life term and Owen is given an indeterminate sentence for public protection

October 7, 2009: Shoesmith launches a High Court case against Balls to seek compensation for her dismissal

September 15, 2010: Shoesmith tells MPs she is sorry about what happened but refuses to accept any blame, saying she had no involvement in the care of Baby P

May 27, 2011: The Court of Appeal rules in favour of Shoesmith, saying her dismissal was ‘tainted by unfairness’

October 8, 2013: Connelly is recommended for release by the Parole Board

February 14, 2015: Connelly is back behind bars after sending nude pictures to male fans

December 29, 2015: The Parole Board rejects Connelly’s first bid for freedom

November 28, 2017: The Parole Board rejects Connelly’s second bid for freedom 

January 6, 2019: The Parole Board rejects Connelly’s third bid for freedom

March 30, 2022: Connelly is recommended for release by the Parole Board 

The child suffered 50 injuries at the hands of his mum, stepdad, Steven Barker and Barker’s brother Jason Owen, with mistakes by social workers meaning medics missed vital warning signs.

David Spencer, director of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: ‘It is appalling to see this woman free to walk the streets again.

‘Few people would disagree her horrendous crimes deserved far longer behind bars. I am pleased that Dominic Raab agrees and did his utmost to keep her in jail. 

‘Let’s hope he now delivers long-overdue and meaningful reform to the parole system.’

Connelly’s parole bid was the fourth after losing appeals in 2015, 2017 and 2019 — with officials finding she still posed a threat to the public.

She finally won in March despite Mr Raab going to court only for a judge to rule in her favour. Connelly was pictured for the first time on Friday, straining with shopping bags from Aldi and Bodycare.

Her own mother, Mary O’Connor, slammed her release, telling The Sun: ‘Look at her — look at the state of her. She’s got so fat. She looks disgusting.

‘She is wearing the mask because she doesn’t want anyone to recognise her. It makes me feel sick looking at these photos. I don’t know how she can live her life like normal.’

Connolly is subject 20 licence conditions, including wearing a tag and having to declare any relationships she now forms.

Any breach could see her sent back to jail immediately.

She was previously released in 2013 but was recalled to prison in 2015 for selling naked photos of herself and breaching her licence conditions by ‘developing intimate personal relationships’ online.

Early last year, Mr Raab had asked the board, which is independent of the Government, to re-examine the decision under the so-called reconsideration mechanism.

His application was ‘refused’.

A Parole Board spokesman had said in a statement: ‘Following the reconsideration application from the Secretary of State, a judge has ruled that the decision made by independent Parole Board members to release was not irrational, as stated in the reconsideration application, and the original decision is upheld.’

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.

Connelly’s lover Steven Barker was jailed in 2009 for a minimum of 32 years for torturing the 17-month-old to death while his brother, Jason Owen, received a six year jail sentence for allowing the toddler to die.

A series of reviews identified missed opportunities for officials to save the toddler’s life had they reacted properly to warning signs.

Three of the children, including Peter, were on Haringey’s Child Protection Register because of fears they were being neglected.

Connelly, who covered up the abuse of her son, was jailed in 2009 for a minimum of five years after admitting causing or allowing the death of her son Peter.

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