The wife of a Tory councillor who posted racial hatred on social media on the day of the Southport stabbings has been jailed.
Lucy Connolly posted messages on July 29 that called for a “mass deportation”. As heard in Birmingham Crown Court, the message read: “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.”
She told a WhatsApp user she would “play the mental health card” if she was arrested. She was jailed for 31 months on Thursday.
Passing sentence, the Recorder of Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman KC said of the Southport stabbings: “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.”
After noting that Connolly’s post on X inciting attacks on hotels had been viewed 310,000 times, the judge added: “When you published those words you were well aware how volatile the situation was. That volatility led to serious disorder where mindless violence was used.”
The judge ruled that Connolly – who remained calm on the prison video-link – had encouraged activity that threatened or endangered life. The sentencing hearing was told the 41-year-old former childminder, who is married to West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly sent a WhatsApp message on August 5 joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bitten me on the arse, lol.”
The court was told that 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.” Another X post sent by Connolly – commenting on a video posted by Tommy Robinson – read “Somalian I guess” and was accompanied by a vomiting emoji.
She appeared before the court via a video link to HMP Peterborough. Her husband watched the proceedings from the public gallery.
Defending, Tom Muir 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.” Raymond Connolly declined to comment on the sentencing as he left Birmingham Crown Court.
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