Tory councillors wife jailed over asylum hotels racial hatred tweet

The wife of a Conservative councillor who used Twitter to stir up racial hatred against asylum seekers on the day of the Southport attacks has been jailed for 31 months.

Lucy Connolly, who is married to West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, posted a message on July 29 which read: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care… If that makes me racist, so be it.”

Connolly, 41, remained calm as she appeared before Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday via a video-link to HMP Peterborough while her husband watched the proceedings from the public gallery.

The Recorder of Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman KC said Connolly was “well aware how volatile the situation was” when she posted the tweet, which was viewed 310,000 times in the three and a half hours it was live before she deleted it.

He said: “That volatility led to serious disorder where mindless violence was used.”

The judge added that Connolly had encouraged activity which threatened or endangered life.

The sentencing hearing was told the former childminder sent a WhatsApp message on August 5 joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bit me on the arse, lol.”

Opening the case, prosecutor Naeem Valli said Connolly also sent a message saying she intended to work her notice period as a childminder “on the sly” despite being de-registered.

Mr Valli added: “She then goes on to say that if she were to get arrested she would play the mental health card.”

The court heard 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 post sent by Connolly – commenting on a video posted by Tommy Robinson – read “Somalian I guess” and was accompanied by a vomiting emoji.

Liam Muir, defending, said Connolly had lost a child in horrific circumstances and was distinguished from other offenders using social media in that she had sent the tweet at the heart of the case before any violence against asylum seekers had started.

Mr 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.”

Passing sentence Judge Inman 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.”

Connolly was ordered to serve 40 per cent of her 31-month sentence in prison before being released on license.

Her husband declined to comment on the sentencing as he left Birmingham Crown Court.

Published: 17/10/2024 by Radio NewsHub