Baby P lodger wins sentence appeal

Three judges in the Court of Appeal in London ruled that Jason Owen, 37, who was convicted of causing or allowing the death of 17-month-old Peter Connelly, will have to serve a six-year jail term instead.

In May an Old Bailey judge imposed an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection, with a minimum term of three years.

Owen, of Bromley, Kent, who was a lodger at the London home where Peter died, could have applied for parole after the three years, but would only have been released when the parole board was satisfied he no longer posed a risk to the public.

His QC, Tim Roberts, argued that an indefinite term was "wrong in principle" as there was no evidence that he posed a significant risk of serious harm to others in the future - a six-year determinate jail sentence was the "appropriate sentence in the circumstances of this case".

Owen was jailed along with Baby Peter's mother Tracey Connelly, 28, of Penshurst Road, Tottenham, north London, and her boyfriend Steven Barker, 33, for causing or allowing Peter's death. Owen - who is Barker's brother but changed his name - had been staying at Peter's home with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Lord Justice Hughes, quashing the indeterminate sentence, said: "His present offence is deeply unpleasant because a completely innocent child who he could have protected was not protected by him against harm by others. He displays a willingness to deceive ...which is unattractive, but to translate that into a significant risk that he will himself in the future commit offences involving death or serious personal injury to the public is ... simply a step too far."

On Monday it emerged that Peter's mother, who was jailed indefinitely with a minimum term of five years, had dropped an appeal bid against her sentence.

Peter Connelly was found dead in a blood-spattered cot in August 2007. He had more than 50 injuries, including fractured ribs and a broken back, despite being on the at-risk register and receiving 60 visits from social workers, doctors and police over eight months.

A sentence of 12 years was handed out to Barker, who was told he had played a major role in Peter's death. He was also jailed for life with a minimum term of 10 years after being convicted of raping a two-year-old girl. His appeal against the rape conviction is due to be heard by the Court of Appeal on November 24.