A Tory councilor’s wife has been jailed in asylum hotels over a racial hate tweet

Lucy Connolly, who is married to West Northamptonshire councilor Raymond Connolly, posted a message on the evening of July 29th saying: “Mass deportation now, burn all the damn hotels full of shit.” **** That’s it for me interested, while you’re at it, take the treacherous government and politicians with you.

I feel physically sick knowing what these families are enduring now. If that makes me racist, then so be it.”

Connolly, 41, remained calm as she appeared at Birmingham Crown Court via video link to HMP Peterborough on Thursday, while her husband watched the proceedings from the public gallery packed with members of the media.

Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman KC said Connolly was “well aware of 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: “As everyone knows, this volatility led to serious unrest in a number of parts of the country where senseless violence was used to cause injury and damage to entirely innocent members of the public and their property.”

The judge added that Connolly encouraged activities that threatened or endangered life.

The sentencing was told that the former childminder had sent a WhatsApp message on August 5 in which she joked that the tweet to her 10,000 followers “bite me in the ass lol”.

She was arrested on August 6 and had deleted her social media account at the time. However, officers discovered additional messages containing more racist comments and confiscated her phone.

Opening the case, prosecutor Naeem Valli said Connolly, who has no previous convictions, also sent another tweet commenting on a sword attack, saying: “I bet it was one of those boat intruders.”

Another post sent by Connolly – who commented on a video posted by Tommy Robinson – read “Somali I guess” and was accompanied by a vomit emoji.

Responding to a tweet that said Islamophobia has “no place in society,” Connolly replied: “Shit, that’s not even a word.”

Connolly also sent a message saying she intended to serve her notice period as a childminder “secretly,” despite being deregistered.

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

Liam Muir, defending, said Connolly had lost a child in horrific circumstances and was different from other offenders who used social media in that she sent the tweet that was at the heart of the case before violence erupted came against asylum seekers.

Mr Muir said: “The horrific way in which she lost her son when she was turned away from the health service can only have a drastic, damaging impact on someone.”

“Whatever her intention was in posting the offensive tweet, it was short-lived and she did not anticipate the violence that followed and she quickly sought to suppress it.”

Passing sentence, Judge Inman said: “Unfortunately, this is one of a number of cases that this court has had to deal with due to unrest following the very tragic events in Southport on July 29.”

“As everyone knows, some people used this tragedy as an opportunity to sow division and hatred, often through social media, resulting in a number of cities being scarred by senseless and racist violence, intimidation and harm.”

“It is a strength of our society that it is both diverse and inclusive. There is always a very small minority of people who seek a pretext for the use of violence and riots that cause injury, harm, loss and fear to entirely innocent members of the public, and punishment for those who foment racial hatred and disharmony in our society , are intended to both punish and deter.”

The judge said character references from people who know Connolly “speak of a caring person, including those for whom you acted as childminder for their children”.

He added: “You have a good family and a young daughter who no doubt misses you terribly.

“In relation to the offense I take into account the fact that, although it was widely read, you did not repeat such a statement and deleted it in due course and sent some messages to the effect that violence was not a solution.”

Judge Inman said that while he accepted that Connolly still feels “very strongly” the loss of her son several years ago, there was no evidence that a mental disorder had any effect on the commission of the offence.

He said: “You may have understood the grief of those who have suffered their own tragic losses in Southport, but you have not sent a message of understanding and comfort, but rather an incitement to hatred.”

“While I accept that you regret your actions, and I have been referred to messages in which you say you disagree with racism and violence, it is clear from the evidence of your own words in the days following your actions “What you said to the police and what you said to the probation officer, that you have little insight into or little acceptance of your actions.”

Connolly was ordered to serve 40% of her 31-month sentence before being released on license.

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