THE brothers jailed over the horrific death of Baby P tortured their own grandmother at her bungalow in Whitstable, it has been revealed.

Sadistic duo Steven Barker, 33, and Jason Owen, 37, were arrested in November 1995 accused of torturing 82-year-old Hilda Barker to force their way into her will.

The thugs, jailed in November for causing or allowing the tragic tot's death, were said to have:

*Locked the frail pensioner in a wardrobe.

*Beat her black and blue on weekend trips from their London home.

*Worn frightening Halloween masks to scare her.

Mrs Barker's daughter called in police after the alleged abuse at the home in Green Leas, Chestfield and the pair were arrested.

Mrs Barker was so shaken by her experience that she was moved to a care home, where she died in January 1996.

But the brothers never faced trial. They were remanded in custody but the case was dropped after Mrs Barker's death, which was put down to natural causes.

A Kent police spokesman said: "In 1995, Kent police were contacted by a relative of an 82-year-old lady called Hilda Barker, who lived in Whitstable.

"It was suggested that members of her family had assaulted Mrs Barker.

"The allegations were fully investigated in 1995 and, although two males were charged, the matter was later discontinued through lack of admissible evidence.

"In 1996, an inquest into Mrs Barker's death concluded it was a result of pneumonia."

Next-door neighbour Jacqueline Cole, 58, said: "We used to see the brothers when they came down from London. They were teenage lads.

"They used to come down with their parents until the very last time, when she had problems."

"Every time they came she was bruised. She was so frightened and used to say 'Oh, they are coming at the weekend'."

"At the time I just thought they were unruly boys coming from a rough part of London.

"We just thought that was their way of living but their parents were such lovely people.

"If we had thought they would have harmed her, we would have spoken to her daughter."

"She was black and blue when they were here. I don't know what they did, she would never say. All up her arms, we would see it, but she would say 'I fell'.

"We heard that the boys stood at the front window with these masks and frightened the daylights out of her."

Barker and Owen, whose identities can only now be revealed after a court order expired last night, were convicted in November of causing or allowing Baby P's death in August last year.

Sadistic Barker was given 12 years for his part in the tot's death and a life sentence, with a minimum of 10 years, for raping a two-year-old girl.

Owen was jailed indefinitely and ordered to serve at least three years.

Baby P's mum, Barker's evil partner Tracey Connelly, was sentenced to a minimum of five years.