Politician’s wife Lucy Connolly jailed for race hate post

The spouse of a Conservative councillor has been jailed for 31 months after calling for motels housing asylum seekers to be set on fireplace.

Lucy Connolly, whose husband serves on West Northamptonshire Council, posted the expletive-ridden message on X on the day three women had been killed in Southport.

The 41-year-old childminder referred to as for “mass deportation now” and added: “If that makes me racist, so be it.”

Decide Melbourne Inman KC advised Birmingham Crown Court docket the sentence for these offences was supposed to “punish and deter”.

The listening to was advised Connolly, of Parkfield Avenue in Northampton, despatched a WhatsApp message on 5 August joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bitten me on the arse, lol”.

Connolly previously admitted meaning to fire up racial hatred.

Opening the case, prosecutor Naeem Valli mentioned Connolly additionally despatched a message saying she supposed to work her discover interval as a childminder “on the sly” – regardless of being de-registered.

Mr Valli added: “She then goes on to say that if she had been to get arrested she would ‘play the psychological well being card’.”

The court docket heard Connolly, who had no earlier convictions, additionally despatched one other tweet commenting on a sword assault, which learn: “I wager my home it was considered one of these boat invaders.”

One other X put up despatched by Connolly – commenting on a video posted by the far proper activist Tommy Robinson – learn “Somalian I assume” and was accompanied by a vomiting emoji.

Connolly appeared earlier than the court docket through a video hyperlink to HMP Peterborough whereas her husband, councillor Raymond Connolly, watched the proceedings from the general public gallery.

Liam Muir, defending, mentioned Connolly had misplaced a baby in horrific circumstances and was distinguished from different offenders utilizing social media in that she had despatched the tweet on the coronary heart of the case earlier than any violence towards asylum seekers had began.

Mr Muir advised the court docket: “The horrendous approach wherein she misplaced her son, being turned away from the well being service, can solely have a drastic detrimental impact on somebody.

“No matter her intention was in posting the offending tweet, it was short-lived and he or she didn’t anticipate the violence that adopted, and he or she shortly tried to quell it.”

Passing sentence, Decide Inman advised the court docket that Connolly’s tweet – which was learn 310,000 occasions – was “supposed to incite critical violence”.

“If you revealed these phrases you had been effectively conscious how unstable the scenario was,” he mentioned.

“That volatility led to critical dysfunction the place senseless violence was used.”

Connolly wore a blue brief sleeve prime and appeared impassive for many of listening to, pushing her hair again at occasions.

The choose, contemplating the mitigation, famous Connolly’s earlier good character and that she didn’t repeat her assertion.

Connolly was ordered to serve 40% of her 31-month sentence in jail earlier than being launched on licence.