Detective who interrogated Baby P's mother insists 'manipulative monster' should never be given a 'second chance' as she makes another bid for freedom

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 20:19, 11 April 2026 | Updated: 20:25, 11 April 2026 The detective who interrogated Baby P's evil mother maintains she is a 'manipulative monster' who should never be given a 'second chance' as she makes yet another bid for freedom.  Tracey Connelly, 44, was jailed indefinitely in 2009 after allowing her son Peter - widely known as Baby P - to die in her care at home in north London in 2007 following a prolonged period of horrific abuse.  The 17-month-old was discovered deceased in a blood-spattered cot in Tottenham on August 3, 2007, after suffering more than 50 injuries, which included eight broken ribs as well as a snapped spine.  John Wedger, the former Met Detective, who encountered the twisted mother just days before the toddler's death has insisted Connelly does not deserve a second chance as a parole panel is set to review her possible release next month.  Recalling her behaviour while she was at the police station near where she resided in Haringey, he insisted she feigned being a caring mother and provided 'ridiculous' excuses about her son's injuries, some of which inferred severe physical trauma.  But it was when the detective read out the paediatric report as they decided if her bail would be extended or she would be remanded over suspicions she had been assaulting Peter, that her mask fell.  'She lost control and she stood up and spat at me and called me a ****,' he told The Sun, as he divulged how she lost control as he retorted her behaviour was 'the monster' little Baby P saw.  Yet despite mounting evidence she was abusing little Peter, she was released. The local council also did not deem Baby P as meeting the threshold to be placed in to care, Mr Wedger recalled.  Tracey Connelly (pictured), 44, will face a two day public parole hearing after being put back behind bars for breaking the conditions of her release The wounds Peter (pictured) suffered included a broken back, broken ribs, mutilated fingertips, and missing fingernails By this point, the 17-month-old had been placed with social services twice before being returned to his evil mother. At the time of his death, he was on the at-risk register and had also been visited 60 times by police, social workers and health professionals in an eight-month period.  Meanwhile, Connelly has been released and recalled on two separate occasions after being sentenced for her horrifying crimes against her son because she breached the conditions of her licence.  When queried if the 44-year-old could be rehabilitated, Mr Wedger revealed that while she may present herself as 'plausible' and 'respectable', he believes she is a 'deep rooted, manipulative liar'.  Adding how she covered her tracks extremely well, he said: 'It's twisted and sadistic – I don't think that woman should be allowed near children ever. 'I don't think that woman should ever be given a second chance.' Referring to the possibility of her release once again, the ex-Met detective insisted Connelly should be kept away from children, and if that meant prison was the sole option, then so be it.  Connelly, as well as her partner Steven Barker and his brother Jason Owen were convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child in 2008. During the trial, a court order prohibited Baby P's name being reported until its conclusion.  Last October, she told the latest parole hearing from jail via Zoom where she said that she let her son die because she was 'selfish' and wanted a 'happy ever after'. Elaborating that she did not want to admit that Barker was capable of violence, she said: 'I did not want to admit the truth.' 'I was selfish. I wanted my happy ever after,' she admitted: 'I slapped my children. I used it when they misbehaved, I think it was more that I was not coping. Connelly sought, alongside her lover Steven Barker (pictured) and his brother Jason Owen, to cover up the injuries inflicted on the youngster - missed by social service and health workers Barker's brother, Jason Owen, (pictured) received a six-year jail sentence for allowing the toddler to die 'It was easier for me to slap them rather than try and explain what a proper mother should have done.' For the first time speaking about her son's death, she confessed she was a 'bad mother' before saying: 'I wanted my Prince Charming and my children paid for that.' The hearing was adjourned, and is set to take place on May 20 and May 21, and will also be open to the public.  In 2013, Connelly was released from prison but was placed back behind bars two years later for breaching the conditions of her parole by selling nude pictures online.  And she was freed yet again in 2022, but recalled in September 2024 for openly disregarding the conditions of her release at a bail hostel.  She had 'developed an intimate relationship with a man' which she concealed from a probation officer, an parole opening heard.  The death of Peter, more widely known as Baby P, sparked outrage across the UK as the extent of his injuries were brought to light as well as the number of times he had been visited by social services, health care professionals and police.  Connelly, her partner Barker and his brother Owen, were all sentenced to time behind bars. Barker lost his parole bid in 2024, however his older sibling has since been freed.  A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'A public oral hearing has been listed for the parole review of Tracey Connelly and is scheduled to take place in May 2026. 'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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