Wife of Tory councillor jailed for 31 months over social media post stirring up racial hatred
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 the stabbings in Southport.
Lucy Connolly, a former childminder, shared a post on her X account that she later removed. In the post, she advocated for immediate mass deportations and suggested that hotels accommodating asylum seekers should be burned down. She concluded with the statement, "If that makes me racist, then so be it."
Her remarks were seen 310,000 times and shared by 940 other users on X.
She composed the article on the day when three young girls lost their lives in a stabbing incident during a dance class inspired by Taylor Swift in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29.
Misinformation alleging that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker circulated online, resulting in riots and disturbances in various cities and towns throughout the UK.
The 41-year-old individual from Northampton later expressed regret for responding to "incorrect and harmful" information.
Connolly, who is the spouse of West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, was sentenced to prison on Thursday at Birmingham Crown Court after admitting to the offense of distributing written content intended to incite racial hatred.
Mr. Connolly chose not to make any statements while leaving the courtroom. In a previous hearing, he mentioned that the post was entirely unlike his wife.
In delivering the sentence for Connolly, Judge Melbourne Inman KC remarked on the Southport stabbings, stating, "Certain individuals took advantage of that tragedy to promote division and animosity, frequently through social media, which resulted in several towns and cities facing turmoil."
He remarked, "When you shared those words, you knew just how uncertain the situation was."
That instability resulted in significant chaos, prompting acts of reckless violence.
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The judge mentioned that she had promoted actions that could put lives at risk or endanger safety.
During the sentencing hearing, it was revealed that Connolly sent a WhatsApp message on August 5, joking that the tweet she posted for her 10,000 followers had "backfired on me, haha."
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She posted another tweet about a sword attack, stating, "I would wager my house that it was one of those boat intruders," as mentioned in court.
Connolly, who participated through a video connection from HMP Peterborough, has been sentenced to serve 40% of her 31-month term in prison before she can be released on probation.
