Lucy Connolly: Northampton childminder married to Tory councillor pleads guilty to stirring up racial hatred
The spouse of a Conservative party representative admitted to sharing written content aimed at inciting racial animosity in relation to the recent violent incidents in Southport.
Lucy Connolly, a childminder, admitted to posting about asylum seekers during a court appearance at Northampton Crown Court. She appeared via videolink from HMP Peterborough after being arrested multiple times in August.
She wrote a message on her X account, but then removed it. The message said: "I think we should deport everyone now and burn all the hotels filled with those people. If that means I'm seen as racist, then that's fine."
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Connolly penned the blog post on the same day a knife assault took place in Southport, Merseyside. The incident occurred while a bunch of kids were participating in a dance class inspired by Taylor Swift.
Incorrect information stating that the perpetrator was a Muslim refugee circulated on the internet, causing violent protests throughout the United Kingdom.
Three young girls lost their lives during the incident that occurred on July 29th, while eight other kids and two adults sustained injuries.
Connolly, who is from Northampton, later said sorry for acting upon incorrect and harmful information and seemed to have deleted her X account afterward.
She is married to Raymond Connolly, who is a councillor from the Conservative Party in West Northamptonshire.
Talking after leaving the court, he mentioned that he felt a sense of relief now that it was all finished. He also described the experience as very difficult for his wife and three children.
Mr. Connolly described her as a distressed homemaker and simply a mother in her midlife who was pulled into the situation due to false information circulating on the internet.
"She's not being truthful about who she really is," he explained. "She's likely the complete opposite of what she's claiming, but she knows she has gone too far and there will be repercussions for it."
Hopefully, she will take this as a learning experience and continue to progress in her life.
Mr. Connolly also mentioned that their son passed away, so if his wife sees a child being hurt, "she will become very upset".
He mentioned that she believes the label of being associated with the conservative party is unjust. However, she is confident that she can handle any criticism thrown her way. She has a strong ability to bounce back and will emerge from the situation even stronger.
Their young child, Harry, passed away at 19 months old in 2012 due to lack of fluids, as determined by an investigation. The medical professionals at the NHS made several simple mistakes that led to this tragedy.
The young child was brought to the hospital by his parents due to intense stomach issues, but the doctors there made a mistake and diagnosed him with a simple stomach ache. They were sent back home, only to return two days later and be denied help by the medical staff.
After a general practitioner did not correctly identify the issue, Mr. Connolly discovered Harry was not breathing at 4am.
Individuals who have been accused of participating in acts of violence or encouraging violence during the riots have been expedited through the legal process.
In Manchester, the court's decision on the case of a 12-year-old involved in violence was postponed because his mother is currently on vacation in Ibiza.
District Judge Joanne Hirst expressed surprise at the decision made by the boy's mother to travel overseas for a five-day vacation before her son's court appearance. The boy had already admitted to two charges of violent disorder.
The mother has received a legal order to attend court proceedings on September 11th when the judge will make a decision.
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The young man, accompanied by his relative, previously confessed to being involved in a group that attacked a bus parked outside a hotel where asylum seekers were staying in Manchester on July 31st.
A few days after that, he was seen with a group of people on camera vandalizing a vape shop by kicking the windows and throwing an object at a police van.
