Lucy Connolly was jailed this week for inciting hatred in the wake of the Southport attacks, when she posted on X saying the hotels hosting asylum seekers should be “set fire” to
The wife of a Tory councillor jailed for stirring up up racial hatred in the wake of the Southport attacks is to appeal her sentence, as her husband spoke out with an odd excuse.
Lucy Connolly, who is married to West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, posted a message on the evening of July 29 which read: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care, while you’re at it take the treacherous government and politicians with them.
“I feel physically sick knowing what these families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist so be it.”
She was arrested on August 6, by which point she had deleted her social media account, but other messages including more racist remarks were uncovered by officers. On Thursday she was jailed for 31 months when she appeared via a video-link from HMP Peterborough at Birmingham Crown Court.
Speaking out, Cllr Connolly gave an odd excuse as he pointed out this was the couple’s first scrape with the law – other than a previous driving incident. He told MailOnline: “Lucy had a speed awareness course but that was it between the pair of us in terms of criminal record.
“This is all new to us and new ground. But Lucy has been through worse things, so this will be difficult but she has been through worse. She will be appealing and I will support the judicial process of whatever they decide to do.”
On Thursday, Judge Melbourne Inman said Connolly was “well aware how volatile the situation was” when she posted on X, which was viewed 310,000 times in the three-and-a-half hours it was live before she deleted it He said: “As everyone is aware, the volatility led to serious disorder in a number of areas of the country where mindless violence was used to cause injury and damage to wholly innocent members of the public and to their properties.”
Opening the case, prosecutor Naeem Valli said Connolly, who has no previous convictions, also sent another tweet commenting on a sword attack which read: “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.”
Liam Muir, defending, said Connolly had lost a child in horrific circumstances. He said: “The horrendous way in which she lost her son, being turned away from the health service, can only have a drastic detrimental effect on someone. Whatever her intention was in posting the offending tweet, it was short-lived, and she didn’t expect the violence that followed, and she quickly tried to quell it.”
Passing sentence Judge Inman said: “Sadly this is one of a number of cases this court has had to deal with arising from civil unrest following the very tragic events in Southport on July 29. As everyone is aware some people used that tragedy as an opportunity to sow division and hatred, often using social media, leading to a number of towns and cities being disfigured by mindless and racist violence, intimidation and damage.
“It is a strength of our society that it is both diverse and inclusive. There is always a very small minority of people who will seek an excuse to use violence and disorder causing injury, damage, loss and fear to wholly innocent members of the public and sentences for those who incite racial hatred and disharmony in our society are intended to both punish and deter.”
