BREAKING NEWS Tory councillor's wife who made social media rant about migrants on day of Southport attack loses appeal over 'harsh' sentence
The wife of a Conservative councillor jailed for posting an online rant about migrants on the day of the Southport murders today lost her appeal to be freed early from prison.
Lucy Connolly, who is behind bars at HMP Drake Hall, Staffordshire, claimed to the Appeal Court last week that she had no idea what she was admitting to.
But today the judges rejected her argument that she did not realise the consequences of pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred.
She was given a 31-month sentence last October after admitting making the post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The post, which she later deleted, said: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care... if that makes me racist so be it.'
The sickening comments were made just hours after homegrown killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, sparking nationwide unrest.
Last week Connolly told the Court of Appeal in London she 'never' intended to incite violence and did not realise pleading guilty would mean she accepted that she had.
She said she had been 'really angry' after the Southport attacks, but hours after posting the rant on X realised it was not an acceptable thing to say, so deleted it.
Adam King, representing Connolly, asked if she had intended for anyone to set fire to asylum hotels or 'murder any politicians'.
She replied: 'Absolutely not.'
Naeem Valli, for the prosecution, told the court the post was a reflection of her attitude towards immigrants.
He added: 'At the time of creating the post, the applicant clearly intended the racial hatred would be stirred up and also intended to incite serious violence.'
Earlier, he had asked Connolly if she believed the country was being 'invaded' by immigrants.
She replied: 'I believe that we have a massive number of people in the country that are unchecked, coming into the country and I believe that is a national security risk.'
She added that it would be 'absolutely incorrect' to say she did not want immigrants in the country.
Connolly, of Northampton, was arrested on August 6, by which point she had deleted her social media account, but other messages which included further racist remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone.
The former childminder, who is married to Raymond Connolly, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court last October after pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred.
Mr Connolly had been a Tory West Northamptonshire district councillor but lost his seat in May. He remains on the town council.
Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Sheldon are expected to give their judgment on the appeal on Tuesday.
The Southport atrocity sparked nationwide unrest, with several people - including Connolly - jailed as a result.
Her tweet was viewed 310,000 times in three-and-a-half hours before she deleted it.
She later pleaded guilty to distributing material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred at Birmingham Crown Court and was sentenced to 31 months in prison in October last year.
But she told the Court of Appeal in London that she had no idea the full extent of what she was admitting, and that her solicitor Liam Muir had not properly explained what 'inciting violence' meant in the context of her tweet.
Indeed it was only when the judge was speaking at her sentencing hearing that it fully dawned on her, she said today when applying to have her prison term reduced.
Speaking after last week's hearing, her husband Raymond Connolly told the Mail: 'I was hoping to get a decision today, but we didn't.
'But I'm used to that. All of Lucy's previous hearings and decisions have been delayed right the way through.'
Connolly appeared via videolink from HMP Drake Hall in Stafford for the hearing.
Giving evidence, Connolly said she initially sent the offensive tweet after getting 'really angry and really upset' upon learning about the Southport massacre, and that children were among the victims.
'Distraught' Connolly said the death of her 19-month-old son in 2011 after a medical blunder had heightened her sensitivity to what happened last July.
She told the Court of Appeal hearing: 'Those parents still have to live a life of grief. It sends me into a state of anxiety and I worry about my children.
'I already know how they feel (about child loss) and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.'
She told her lawyer Adam King she then sent her tweet.
But she said it was 'absolutely not' her intention for it to incite anyone to 'set fire to asylum hotels' or to 'murder any politicians'.
She subsequently walked the dog and decided to delete the tweet.
She told the court: 'By that point I had calmed myself down and I knew it was not an acceptable thing to say, I had time to gather myself and take it down.'
She subsequently issued an apology, saying she was 'acting on information that I now know to be false and malicious'.
Connolly was arrested a week after she posted the rant.
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