In 2010, three years into his 12 year jail sentence for the abuse and subsequent death of 1 year old Peter Connelly (aka Baby P), Steven Barker was brutally attacked by a fellow inmate at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire. 6ft 4in Barker, who was left with permanent and serious burns to his face and arms after having a container full of boiling water thrown over him, had apparently been left screaming in agony while other prisoners gathered around and applauded the perpetrator. It was also claimed that sugar had been added to the water, as this causes the substance to stick to the skin and consequently intensifies the injuries. However, this was later denied by the Ministry of Justice.
On 3rd August 2007, after enduring such a short lifetime of abuse and suffering, baby Peter was found by paramedics in his cot, blue in colour and dressed only in a nappy. Despite numerous attempts of resuscitation and being rushed to hospital, he was pronounced dead at 12:20pm. The post-mortem which ensued showed that Baby P had swallowed a tooth after being punched, as well as revealing other injuries including a broken back, broken ribs, mutilated fingertips and missing fingernails. His own mother, Tracey Connelly, was also convicted for the relentless abuse which eventually led to the loss of her own son’s life.
Although Wakefield prison, often nicknamed ‘Monster Mansion’, is recognised for its detainment of high-profile and high-risk individuals, other offenders have openly expressed their feelings of contempt towards Baby P’s abuser: “To say Barker is disliked is an understatement - he is reviled. The other inmates all hate him with a passion. When Barker came here every one knew what he had done to Baby P. Your card is marked if you have a crime against your name concerning kids. After the attack everyone was in good spirits, knowing someone had hurt Barker. The guy who did it will be getting applauded everywhere he goes now. It will be seen as a badge of honor and it is just a matter of time before someone else takes a shot at Barker too.”