Councillor’s Wife Jailed for Hate Speech Amid Southport Tragedy Fallout

Spouse of Conservative council member sentenced to over two years for inciting racial hatred through online post

At 41, ex-childcare provider Lucy Connolly expressed regret for her actions, which were based on "untrue and spiteful" information, after she posted remarks online in response to the stabbings in Southport.

Thursday, October 17, 2024, 6:

The spouse of a Conservative council member has been sentenced to 31 months in prison after admitting to distributing written content intended to incite racial hatred, following a stabbing incident in Southport.

Former childcare worker Lucy Connolly shared a post on her X account, which she subsequently removed, advocating for "immediate mass deportation" and urging that hotels accommodating asylum seekers be burned down. She added, "If that makes me racist, so be it."

Her remarks garnered 310,000 views and were shared by 940 users on X.

She authored the message on the same day that a tragic stabbing incident claimed the lives of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29.

Misleading reports circulated on the internet, suggesting that the offender was a Muslim refugee, which triggered riots and disturbances in various urban areas throughout the UK.

The individual, a 41-year-old from Northampton, subsequently expressed regret for reacting to information that was untrue and harmful.

Connolly, the spouse of West Northamptonshire council member Raymond Connolly, was sentenced to prison at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday for admitting to distributing writings intended to incite racial hatred.

Mr. Connolly did not offer any comments while exiting the courthouse. He had previously stated in a hearing that the post was not typical of his wife’s behavior.

During the sentencing of Connolly, Judge Melbourne Inman KC remarked on the Southport stabbings, stating, "Certain individuals exploited this catastrophe to propagate discord and animosity, frequently through social media platforms, which resulted in several towns and cities being marred."

He continued, "You knew perfectly well the instability of the circumstances when you released those statements.

"This instability resulted in significant chaos characterized by reckless aggression."

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The judge stated that she had promoted actions that posed a threat or risk to life.

During the sentencing proceeding, the court heard that Connolly had sent a WhatsApp message on August 5, humorously remarking to her 10,000 followers that her tweet had "backfired on her, lol."

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The court was informed that she posted an additional tweet about a sword attack, stating, "I'd wager my home that it was one of those people who came by boat."

Connolly, participating through a video connection from HMP Peterborough, was mandated to complete 40% of her 31-month sentence behind bars prior to her release on licence.

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