At The Baby P Trial

The 27-year-old mother of Baby P cut a forlorn figure when she appeared at the Old Bailey, the central criminal court in London, Friday, Nov. 14. She and the two men already convicted with her in the death of her child were appearing for a hearing, the nature of which cannot be published as the result of a court order. Nervously twitching and wringing her hands throughout the two-hour-long proceeding, she often stared fearfully around the court, surveying the scene with what appeared to be a mixture of shame and anxiety. She received stony, uncharitable glares in return. Most of the people present were court officials and lawyers; there were only two of us in the public gallery.

Some of those there must have wondered whether they were staring at a poster child for "broken Britain", as Tory leader David Cameron has called it. One policeman had described her as a "slob". The mother of Baby P's wrinkled, confused frown was set upon a pale complexion, underscored by dark brown, greasy hair tied back by an incongruously cheery bright-pink hairband. She continually adjusted a clingingly tight, black short-sleeved top, her clasped hands resting between her black trouser legs. Having been transformed into an emblem of the nation's ills, she personified the stereotype—unkempt and overweight, gormless and disturbed. When she had entered her plea previously, it was in a thick north London accent: "not guil'y", with a glottal stop instead of a T. This is the woman who, according to The London Times, boasted to friends that she would be out of jail by Christmas in her son's death.

Jason Owen, 36, by contrast, seemed calm throughout. He sat a few feet to the mother's right, accompanied by a female prison warden, in a grey tracksuit, watching court proceedings in a calm and detached manner. At regular intervals, he spoke to his assigned prison warden in whispers, though never for longer than a minute. Owen, 36, gave an appearance of self-awareness and discipline, sporting a short-cropped haircut. Were it not for the grey tracksuit, itself a symbol associated with Britain's underclass, Owen's appearance and demeanor would be distinctly unremarkable. His build and posture, coupled with neat, dark hair and a clean-shaven square jaw gave an air of serenity that escaped the other convicts. The British press has accused him of being a pedophile, who was living in the house with his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Baby P's other tormentor, the boyfriend of Baby P's mother, appeared at the hearing via video link, also in a grey tracksuit, clean-shaven, looking distinctly pale and slouched in his chair throughout. He often looked uninterested and never seemed to be moved by the proceedings. His light brown-blonde hair was trimmed short, he's the one convicted of, among other things, trying to train Baby P to answer to commands like a dog, in addition to beating and torturing him by, for instance, cutting off the tip of one of his fingers. He's described as a collector of Nazi memorabilia. . (At trial, mother of Baby P, the boyfriend, and Owen each blamed the others for the actual physical abuse inflicted).

At the end of the hearing, the video screen switched off and the two convicts in the court morosely followed their wardens back to prison, heads hanging. On Dec. 15th, they'll be back for sentencing. The maximum they could get: 14 years.

© 2008