Tracey Connelly, the mother of tragic Baby P, has revealed she "took all my anger out" on her kids, during a Parole Board hearing in prison.

Cowardly Connelly is refusing to appear on camera from prison as a Parole Board panel decides if she should be released or moved to an open jail. It is the first time the 44-year-old has given a public account of Peter's death, more than 18 years after he died aged just 17 months.

Tracey Connelly told the hearing: "I was a bad mother. I failed to protect them. I put my needs first. I took all my anger out on the world and on my children. I didn't give them what they needed and they deserved better than me."

Connelly said that she wanted her "Prince Charming" and so refused to believe that little Peter was being abused by her sadistic lover Steven Barker.

Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P (
Image:
MDM)

She told the hearing: "There was a lot more that I probably could have done to protect my children. If I had told the professionals that this man was living with me and explained that we were more than he was just visiting, there are 101 things I could have done.

"I could have done more. I was in my own bubble where I wanted my Prince Charming and unfortunately my children paid for that."

She added: "I was selfish. I wanted my happy ever after."

Baby P died after months of abuse (
Image:
PA)

Connelly denied that she had covered Peter's face in chocolate to hide his injuries.

She said: "There was a suggestion where I covered [Peter's] face in chocolate. But I washed it off in front of a social worker and there were no bruises on his face."

Referring to Barker added: "I knew deep down what was happening. I challenged him [Barker] once and he made me feel so small I didn't challenge him again.

"I didn't believe that I could be living with a man who was capable of this, rather than the truth. I wanted to prove everyone wrong."

She added: "I kept him a secret, I was arguing that this couldn't happen."

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