Lucy Connolly, the wife of a former Conservative county councillor, was jailed last year for inciting racial hatred in the aftermath of the Southport terror attack
The wife of a former Conservative county councillor who calling for migrant hotels to be set on fire on the day of the Southport attack is set to be released from jail today, it is reported.
Lucy Connolly, 41, had posted on X on the day of the murder of three children by Axel Rudakubana in Southport: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the bastards for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.” The mum of one was jailed for 31 months in October following the tweet, which was viewed more than 300,000 times before it was deleted.
It was reported last month how Connolly, who is a childminder, may be released from HMP Peterborough soon – having served just 40 per cent of her term – and now it is understood the woman will today be granted her freedom.
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The mum’s jail sentence has been criticised as being too harsh, reports The Telegraph who today says the term has ended. Her supporters have argued she was made a scapegoat for the rioting last summer, which followed Rudakubana’s murders in Merseyside.
Connolly pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” written material on X and was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court in October last year. Sir Keir Starmer defended the jail sentence, stressing it was an “efficient or fair use” of prison, after a Court of Appeal application against her jail term was dismissed.
Speaking in May, said: Mr Starmer said: “Sentencing is a matter for our courts, and I celebrate the fact that we have independent courts in this country. I am strongly in favour of free speech, we’ve had free speech in this country for a very long time and we protect it fiercely.
“But I am equally against incitement to violence against other people. I will always support the action taken by our police and courts to keep our streets and people safe.”
Connolly’s post was viewed 310,000 times in three-and-a-half hours before she deleted it. This was flagged by her husband, former councillor Raymond who served on the West Northamptonshire Council, who campaigned for his spouse’s release.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: “Keir Starmer’s enthusiasm for prosecuting Lucy Connolly appears to contradict his own guidelines. She rapidly deleted the message and showed remorse. This suggests Keir Starmer is guilty of hypocrisy and double standards by supporting a breach of his own prosecution guidelines.”
A Government spokesman told Telegraph: “Sentencing is a matter for independent courts, and we support the action taken by the courts, as well as the police, to keep our streets safe. In all cases where Law Officers’ consent is required, the Law Officers carefully consider whether to grant consent, including all relevant factors to the public interest in the prosecution.”