Wife of Tory councillor jailed for inciting racial hatred on day of Southport attacks

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.

A court heard Lucy Connolly told a WhatsApp user she would 'play the mental health card' if she was arrested.

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 bastards for all I care… If that makes me racist, so be it."

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A sentencing hearing at Birmingham Crown Court was told the 41-year-old former childminder sent a WhatsApp message on August 5 joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had 'bitten 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 was told 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.

Connolly appeared before the court via a video-link to HMP Peterborough while her husband watched the proceedings from the public gallery.

Tom 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 on Connolly, 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 added that Connolly – who remained calm on the prison video-link – had encouraged activity which threatened or endangered life. Raymond Connolly, her husband, declined to comment on the sentencing as he left the court.