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Betrayed by expert liar and her brutal boyfriend
Paul Cheston and Jack Lefley11.11.08
The mother
The police said she was a consummate liar who could provide an explanation for every injury her son suffered.
She was cohabiting at 17, got married, pregnant, bored with her husband, dumped him and secretly moved in a new boyfriend when the baby was just three months old.
Now 27, she left their first home - described as cramped, untidy and smelling of urine - for a housing association property they shared with three dogs.
Her own father told how she would lay on the sofa complaining about how tired she was or smoking and visiting chatrooms on her computer.
Only on the first day of her trial did she enter a guilty plea to the charge of causing or allowing the death of P.
The boyfriend
The killer of baby P was more than 6ft 4ins tall with broad shoulders. He could not read or write but could text on his mobile phone. Viciously bullied as a child, he became a bully himself.
Claiming he was "toughening P up for when he was older", he treated him the same way he trained his dog.
When he and the lodger clicked their fingers the child would touch his forehead on the floor in fear of another beating. He and the mother would smear chocolate over the toddler's bruises to try to fool social workers.
In 2000 he underwent treatment for alcoholism.
The lodger: Jason Owen
Owen moved in to the Haringey home because there were people "after him" in south London, the court heard.
He had split from his family after sex and abuse allegations and had been convicted of arson for burning down his home to try to be rehoused. The court also heard allegations - which he denied - that he had made threatening phone calls to his sister. Owen stayed in the house for the last five weeks of baby P's life. After P's murder he was tracked down camping in Epping Forest with his 15-year-old girlfriend.
The father
His last memory of his son was the little boy flinging his arms out and shouting "daddy, daddy, daddy".
The toddler had stayed overnight with him and he returned P to his wife just five days before he died.
"She met me at the bus stop," he said, fighting back tears. "As she walked away he screamed 'daddy, daddy, daddy' so much she brought him back."
He had been overjoyed when his son was born but the marriage broke down soon afterwards. He paid regular maintenance and continued to see his son.
"When I came in he was happy and bouncy," the father told the court.
The doctor: Sabah Alzayyat
The Saudi doctor failed to spot a catalogue of injuries when she examined the toddler two days before he died.
He had already suffered fractured ribs and possibly a broken back. But the locum consultant paediatrician did not carry out a full examination as he was "miserable and cranky".
She trained in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan before joining her husband in Ireland in 1997. She moved to St Ann's hospital in January 2007.
Dr Alzayyat, of Ilford, said in a statement: "I have been deeply affected by the shocking and tragic circumstances of this young child's death."
Doctor Alzayyat no longer works at St Ann's but is still allowed to work in Britain under strict conditions.
The social worker: Maria Ward
Maria Ward was made the boy's social worker six months before he died, but she failed to stop the systematic abuse.
She saw the child just four days before his death but did not spot wounds hidden by chocolate and skin cream.
Time after time he ended up in hospital but social services insisted the boy should be returned to his mother.
Ms Ward could not be reached at her flat in Camden and would not take phone calls at work. But it is believed she continues to carry out her duties at Haringey Council.
Reader views (27)
oh my god i am a mother of four children,this makes me feal sick to my stomach, they should never be let free they do not deserve to ever walk this earth again,that poor poor baby,how could any one of walked in to that house and not notice neglet is a complete and utter lie.i hope and pray that all three of them rot in hell there not even humen,when is this all going to stop why cant we protect our children from these monsters that walk and live in our streets,when is this law going to change you have put peodifiles on a list but yet again another gets through the net and helps with the death of baby p,they laugh at you judges because there is no stiff prison sentences,put them all on a island far from any human being and let them all live together we dont want them here so do some thing about it.
- Paula Mabey, christchurch dorset
i am deeply sickened by the story of this poor little boy,i dont even want to say what i thik they deserve!!! all 3 of the monsters that was involved in this abuse should be locked away for life and never be free again.and as for the doctors and social workers,they shouldnt even be allowed to work any longer in britain or any other country!! every time i read about baby p it brings tears to my eyes,the abuse he went through......i am speechless,and i just want to cuddle him n show him love that i show my little boys!!!but thanks to the shameless sickning behaviour of his mother step father and lodger, he isnt able to be around no more!! rest in peace little darling!!!your pain is now over!!! our pain will remain for this child,untill every one of them monsters get what they deserve!!!
- Emma Finch, nottingham,england
This only shows what type of country we are all living in. When innocent mothers are being accused of killing their children soon after birth, others are allow to torture and finally kill their children with a sentence of up to 14 years in prison to look at. This is a disgrace and unfortunately it will keep happening over and over again.Money is being invested on the wrong things and children are not being protected from killers. The amount of childless families that could have look after baby P are countless.GOD BLESS YOUR SOUL LITTLE ANGEL, YOU ARE AT HOME NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Sonia Tames, london
I am deeply hurt to here about the evil torture of baby P, what these people have done to baby P, do not deserve any merci, but only pray that one day little baby P will be back on the earth, happy and loved, that he ritly deserved, by loving parents. Rest in piece little child.
- Tina Amin, Bristol
what have this kid ever done to you?
why? why? did the evil people kill baby p?
the evil killer should get the worse punishment ever.
what if it happen to them?
i am blessing baby p with all my love.
"with every little baby born
god send his love and joy
to earth"
- Amarjeet, london
This situation is not just in Haringay council unfortunately. The system is fundamentally wrong in this country. There are adverts on TV and magazines saying to phone police/social services etc if you feel that there is abuse/neglect going on but I speak from personal experience when I say that this does not work. I have, in the past, phoned Social Services and the Police in my area about a situation of serious prolonged neglect of an under 10 child due to excessive drinking and both agencies have attended the relevant home. Although they agree there are issues to address they refuse to remove the child as they don't believe it is serious enough and believe the lies that the mother tells. The child has sat with police officers in my home and categorically stated that he did not want to go home because he was scared of the consequences but the police made him return. Social Services will visit at some time in the future but will, yet again, be told that everything is fine and they will believe it. More children are going to be abused and die because the "professionals" don't take things seriously. I agree that we should all work to stop abuse like this happening but when you bring it to authority's attention and they don't take you seriously where else do you go? Bring back the hard line of child protection where a child could be removed. A child is a blessing, not a money making machine who can be ignored and abandoned at will.
- Karen, Wales
How on earth did the council let such appalling tragedy happen again ?? Surely all the people who have been involved in the baby's life are responsible for such an oppressive case especially the social worker could have been blind for not spotting the bruises on the poor baby's face.The heartless and fool social worker is as responsible as the beast mother.These people are killers and should be sentenced life in prison.Also the pathetic council director who has baby P's blood on her hand, must boot out of her job.
I sincerely wish the court of justice shows no mercy to these ruthless people.
- Moj, London
Im so sorry for baby P! I really hope the people that did this suffers greatly!!!!! sick, sick, sick people! All i want to do is grab that child and give him the biggest cuddle in the world! loads of love and kisses, as he should of got in the first place! not beaten and battered about, it makes me feel phisicly sick to the stomach. I cryed when i saw the brutal pictures of him, its discusting. Shame on you people!!! Rest in piece baby P! your not suffering anymore! Your in all our hearts and thoughts now, you wont be forgotten
- Nadia Amin, Bristol
I am very depressed and deeply hurt and my heart bleeds to see the cruelty and brutality that this little baby was subjected to. Since reading the case story above, I keep on thinking about this little baby and my eyes fill with tears. I cant imagine the pain he must have gone through and it is awful that he was treated worse than animals. I really hope that people involved in this are given a life sentence and tortured the way they tortured innocent Baby P, who was so helpless and relying on them. I still can't comprehend how a person can bully a defenseless child that is so innocent and fun to play with. I wish that social worker(s) and paramedics could have been more alert and responsible and provied much needed care to this baby. May God bless Baby P.
- Farhat Khan, London; England
Whatever sentence these wild animals get, they will be out eventually, which means new life, new identity and thats down to our sham of a government. Everyone i have spoken to feels sick about these evil people and our absolute sham of a government.
I'm sure everyone out there would agree with me when i say, i would do time just to have 1 hour in a locked room with these 3 animals and give them what they deserve.
I'm so frustrated because i know in the end that they will be free to walk our streets with new identities and who knows, they might even have children of their own.
- Matt Watson, staines uk
I would pay to watch these evil people tortured and put through what that poor child went through, turn them into the streets and let the public deal with them. I hope they are ripped apart in prison. Its a sick sick world we now live in. How the hell you can not spot wounds on a child beggers belief. This country, its politics, rules and idiots makes me sick.
- Claire S, mk
my heart goes out to baby p , the mother and boyfriend and lodger should suffer wot baby p went through , and there should be all over the papers named and shamed .
- Jane, stockton on-tees cleveland
Is sad to heard this type of thing happening today. We all should hold our heads in shame, to allow this to happened under our very noses. People are turning a blind eye to mistreatment and the system is to non-judgement. Shame its just a shame.
- Nicky Patterson, Liverpool
I cannot believe that this has happened again, clearly the social services are not doing their jobs properly, why are they not also being blammed for this tragedy, Maria Ward should never be able to work in social services again, and that doctor who did not pick up on the injuries shouldnt be allowed to work in this country if she can clearly not do her job properly.
The mother and step father of this child should get life in prison, they dont deserve to have a life after this. This goes for the lodger aswel. Justice is needed for this baby, and also for Victoria Climbie who also suffered from the lack of child protection by Haringey social services. when i heard what had happened i cried i felt sick. I cant believe that nothing is happening to the people who could not identify the problem or do anything about it they as much to blame for his death. My thoughts are with the father of this poor little boy. R.I.P Baby P. your name will never be forgotton. xx
- Jade Martin, London
I find it so hard to understand how someone could just sit there while someone does this sort of thing to a child. i find it hard to believe that no one noticed his missing fingers tips or his ear!!! it breaks my heart to think of all the pain this little boy went through. and yet he was being looked after!!! social service have a hard job but it makes me sick, if it int a story about an innoccent family being ripped apart, its a sad story like this where they were just watching him being killed. 2 people a week when to see this baby!!! how could they have missed it??? god bless and look after this baby im never going to forget him!!! nor the pictures of his ears. all 3 of these people should be sent away for a long time some of them might not have harmed him but by not helping him they might as well have. please lets stop this happeneing babies and children. at 7.30pm 14 november im gonna light a candle for his soul.
- Lucie, coventry
these coward people should be heavily charged. never let loose again. to harm someone vunerable they obviously dont have what it takes to hurt someone their own size. somebody close should have realised and anyone who has turned a blind eye to this should be severely punished. the mother should be imprisoned for life for doing something so evil.
- Anita Patel, london
i am so deverstated about the story that i have read that i am feeling sick inside, i cannot believe that once again we have failed identify a child being abused. if this is not enough eveidence that we are clearly not being strict enough and we are not taking child abuse seriously then i think this definelty is!!. This is by far unaceptable and this type of abuse should have been spoted and taken care of a long time ago.Ms Ward should no longer work a a social Worker as she can clearly not do her job properly and as for the People that caried out
- Emma Smith, bucks
Dear all I have been sickened with this and cried and wailed all night. It is beyond belief. I have left comments on Sky news also.So I won't repeat I just I want everyone to join me please in lighting a candle on the 14th Nov 7.30pm in memory of Baby P and all other helpless children out there being tortured and abused. Lets ask for their protection. The power of our positive thoughts and prayers can make a difference. My heart goes out to the father. RIP Darling Baby P we send you love and light.
- Lesley Heron, Scotland Uk
I absolutely agree with the comment above. Since reading this disgusting story i've been struggling to put into words how i felt but Mr. Haldane expresses my feelings perfectly. I've been the Haringey Council and read the serious case review pdf they've put up but it just didn't feel like they took enough responsibility. I understand that social workers operate under difficult conditions but it can't excuse what happened. That poor boy.
- Elsa, Montreal
I think this is one of the most horrific stories i have ever read. Hearing and reading about the suffering this baby encountered made my stomach churn! To think how someone could inflict so much pain onto a child is absolutley disgusting! This is sick, and all 3 deserve to spend therre life rotting away in prison. I cannot imagine the suffering caused, and makes me want to vomit just thinking about it! Its horrific!
- Kasha Felstead, Wakefield, England
Maria Ward should resign
- C Macdonald, Scotland
How this poor child must have suffered, yet again we see some one already making a case to justify the appalling actions of three very unstable and cruel people. Apparently the mother was the daughter of an alcholic, and the other two were victims of cruelity themselves. I know social services cannot be there 24/7 and hold everyone's hand but on this ocassion the social worker really does need to question if she's in the right job. Being vicitms themselves should have alerted social services even more re behavioural theories and being arrested once for assaulting the baby and social services allowing him back to the same environment? God help all the other children in need of protection under this social services they sound like they've learn't nothing from Victoria Climbie whatso ever. Not only should the social worker be sacked so should her manager and anyone else who sat in on their superior decision making.
- Debbie Harper, West Midlands. UK
What a disgrace, I mean all of them. You need no qualifications or training of course to become a parent (sadly). But you'd think the social worker and doctor would have needed SOME training. But they clearly didn't know what they were doing and we pay their wages. Maybe I could train and become a doctor or social worker by next week, by then I'd be able to make a better job of it than they were. I could replace these two individuals who should be sacked.
- John Arrit, London
I like how under 'the mother' it explains her social status and living conditions, yet under 'the boyfriend' it opens with "the killer of baby p" despite the mother admitting SHE caused, or allowed the death of her child.
I.e, she probably violently abused the child and occasionally allowed her boyfriend to also.
They both killed baby p.
- Matt, UK
This is disgusting, I can not understand how the system has let this little one down! Why did noone do anything! The system needs changing as this stinks! Does it really need a poor childs life to end before someone thinks something should be down!
- Emma, Hull
Working as a social worker within child protection and investigation team I can only say that I am deeply disturbed by this case.There still remains some flaws and grey areas within the Children Act legislation.As professionals we are working within a statatury framework that informs us that when it is evident that parents are cooperating and engaging with services the risks are reduced. Clearly this is not the case as detailed in the article above. How many times are we going to learn from children's deaths?
- Clair Graham, Birmingham
Consummate liar? Expert liar? What is the definition of these terms other than in relation to the gullibility or intellectual laziness of those being deceived. There are no education or training courses in lying. It was up to the 'professionals' to seek out the truth and they just couldn't be bothered. They were anything but professional. Never mind employment legislation, heads should roll.
- Peter Haldane, London
