Wife of ex-Tory councillor jailed for social media rant about migrants loses appeal over sentence
The wife of a former Conservative county councillor has had her jail sentence upheld after she made an online rant about migrants on the day of the Southport attacks.
Lucy Connolly, 42, was handed a 31-month sentence after admitting making a post on X in the hours after three girls were stabbed and killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
In response, she had tweeted to her 9,000 followers: 'Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care, while you're at it take the treacherous government and politicians with them.
'I feel physically sick knowing what these families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist so be it.'
It was viewed 310,000 times in three-and-a-half hours before Connolly deleted it.
On Tuesday Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Sheldon, refused her application to appeal.
In a written judgment, Lord Justice Holroyde, said: 'There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.
'The application for leave to appeal against sentence therefore fails and is refused.'
During a hearing last Thursday at the Court of Appeal, she said that she 'never' intended to incite violence and did not realise pleading guilty would mean she accepted that she had.
Giving evidence from HMP Drake Hall in Eccleshall in Staffordshire, Connolly had written the post on 29 July when she was 'really angry, really upset' and that she knew how the parents felt.
She said: 'Those parents still have to live a life of grief. It sends me into a state of anxiety and I worry about my children.'
The court heard that Connolly's son died tragically around 14 years ago, and that news of the murders of the children in Southport had heightened her sensitivity.
When asked why she had deleted the post three and a half hours after posting it, Connolly added: 'I calmed myself down, and I know that wasn't an acceptable thing to say. It wasn't the right thing to say, it wasn't what I wanted to happen.'
In the aftermath of the stabbing, anti-immigration riots broke out across the country with mosques, homes and businesses targeted. Over 1,200 people were arrested while over 130 police officers were injured between 30 July and 5 August 2024.
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.'
However, the prosecution had argued that the post was a reflection of her attitude towards immigrants. When she was arrested on 6 August, she had deleted her social media account but other messages which included further racist remarks were recovered on her phone.
Naeem Valli, for the prosecution, 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.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
Brazen owner of Bully which mauled boy, 5, blames child and insists ‘he's harmless…I still let him play with my toddler'
A DAD whose dog 'savaged' a five-year-old boy says it was a "genuine mistake" and claims the child was actually in the wrong - sparking a furious response from his mum. Aaron Eccles' Pocket Bully attacked Antonio Quinn - four at the time - after he unexpectedly came into the house and startled the pet, resulting in injuries to his face and legs. 11 11 The little boy subsequently needed a three-hour operation to stitch his wounds - while police seized the Bully, as well as a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, owned by Aaron's partner, at the scene. Aaron told The Sun: 'It's a genuine mistake and the parents aren't accepting the fact that their child's in the wrong for coming into the house." And says he'd still be happy for the dog to play with his own six-month-old baby son. However, Antonio's flabbergasted mum Amanda Holmes has hit back at the owner's claims, saying her son is "very lucky to be alive" and was certainly not to blame. She said "trying to justify" the dog's behaviour is "sickening". Aaron, who described arriving home on May 26 to see '20 armed officers' outside, believes the incident does not necessarily make his pet Harry - initially reported to be an XL Bully - 'dangerous'. Antonio had followed Aaron's six-year-old stepson into the house in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, after they'd been playing outside - with only his older sister, age 12, upstairs. Staffy Bella, who was in season, was in a cage to keep her separate from Harry. Aaron, 34, told The Sun: 'I came back and there's 20 armed police terrorising my dogs, pepper spraying them and winding them up. 'They told me my dog's savaged somebody, a four year old boy.' Mum screamed 'my baby's dead' as girl, 10, killed by XL Bully weeks after excitedly telling friends about her 'new pet' He added: 'He got reported as an XL Bully but it wasn't. He's a Pocket Bully.' Pocket Bully dogs are not part of the XL Bully ban. It's a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption. Pocket Bullies are a much smaller, though similar breed. Aaron does not believe there would have been the same police response if they'd known initially Harry was a much smaller dog. And argues, due to most dogs' sense of territory and reaction to an 'intruder', any breed could have reacted in a similar manner. 'The dog's never met the little boy before so he's thought he's an intruder and he's nipped him to warn him to get out,' he said. 'He's not ragged him or savaged him or anything. He has bitten him but it's a warning bite. 'He hasn't grabbed hold of him and shook him about - nothing like how it's been portrayed.' 11 11 Describing Antonio's injuries, Aaron said: 'The marks on his legs are from his (the dog's) paws when he jumped up at him and also where he's caught his neck.' The dad explained that his partner Nikki Morris, 35, had told her son not to go into the house while she went to collect Aaron from the gym, but in the space of 10 minutes from her leaving the incident happened. He said: 'It's a genuine mistake and the parents aren't accepting the fact that their child's in the wrong for coming into the house. 'The worst has happened and now it's my family and dogs that are suffering.' Aaron previously spent time homeless, with two-year-old Harry as his only companion, and said he's extremely loyal to him, but 'like a teddy bear' usually. 'He's never lashed out before,' he explained. 'He was just protecting his home - what he's loyal to. They don't differentiate between an adult and a child when they think it's a burglar. But he certainly hasn't mauled him.' He continued: 'I've got an almost six month old baby, the Pocket Bully lies and sleeps next to him. 'I've got videos and pictures of him lying next to him licking him to death. 'I wouldn't have an aggressive dog next to my baby or my stepson.' 11 11 11 He said he has since had a call from a police officer asking if he would like both dogs euthanised, but told them no. Aaron understands there will now be an assessment process to understand if the dogs are too dangerous to be allowed home, and he could face charges - but hasn't yet been arrested. 'The police aren't responding to me, it's like they don't care,' Aaron continued. 'I'm not 100 percent what's going to happen with the dogs.' He said Staffy Bella had only escaped her cage when police arrived and antagonised Harry. Describing the scene when he arrived home, he said: 'All armed police…they were just pepper spraying them through the door, through the back door and banging on the windows, getting them all aggressive while the other armed response officers were coming through the front door, spraying loads of pepper spray on them. 'It was sickening to watch. You don't do that to someone's pet. They're telling me they're aggressive, and I'm saying if you spray me with pepper spray and wind me up I'll be aggressive as well.' Aaron and Nikki have bought Antonio a present but said they are letting the dust settle a little more before they try to speak to his family. 'We felt bad, but the fact of the matter is they need to accept their little boy was in the wrong, entering the house and they just won't accept that,' Aaron said. 'We're trying to fix things and it's just getting blown out of proportion. It was a tragic accident, there's no point torturing both dogs when one wasn't doing anything and the other isn't aggressive, he was just doing his job. 'He was just protecting his home.' Asked if one of the dogs attacked any of his children he might feel differently, Aaron said: 'If I thought the dogs were capable of doing that [a much worse attack] to the children then I wouldn't think twice, I wouldn't be keeping them. 'I know 100 percent those dogs wouldn't do anything to my kids.' He added: 'My stepson winds them up no end and they still don't do anything to him. They lick him. 'This is why I'm going so ballistic because I know my dogs are not dangerous.' EXPERT COMMENT: 'The law must tread carefully with dog attacks involving children' Rhianna Tsiattalou, Solicitor at criminal defence & civil litigation practice Stokoe Partnership Solicitors, told The Sun: 'Cases involving dangerous dogs - particularly where children are harmed are profoundly tragic, and the law must tread a careful line between protecting the public and ensuring fairness in the application of justice. "This case falls within the remit of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which makes it a criminal offence to own or be in charge of a dog that is 'dangerously out of control' in any place. This includes private property. "Where such an incident results in serious injury, harsh penalties can be imposed, including jail time. If a child is involved, courts treat the matter with particular gravity. "S3 (1A) and (1B) of the Dangerous Dogs Act provides an exemption from prosecution for householders in instances where their dog has been dangerously out of control with respect to trespassers in their home. "However, this does not apply to dog attacks on trespassers in gardens, driveways or outbuildings. "The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Bill, Fact Sheet: Dangerous Dogs (part 7) makes clear that this is intended to differentiate between innocently intentioned trespassers or trespassers in or entering a dwelling that are more likely to have a malign intent. "Often, individuals unaware of legal responsibilities around dog ownership face the full weight of prosecution only after tragedy occurs. "Proactive education and tighter regulation around breeding, containment, and training are therefore essential. "As lawyers, we frequently see cases where non-dangerous breeds become involved in catastrophic events, often due to a momentary lapse in containment or unpredictable behaviour. "In these instances, it is important for cases to be dealt with promptly and without excess delay due to the undesirability of keeping dogs kennelled for long periods of time (as expressed in the Home Office Guidance Circular 29/1998). "Dogs that are seized should be assessed immediately to ascertain whether they truly are a danger to the public.' Antonio's mum Amanda told The Sun: "My son was playing with their son and he went to the door while their son got a drink. "The dog ran out and attacked my son. Aaron and Nikki, the parents, weren't even in the house. They was out so maybe if they was in it could of been prevented. "That dog could have gone for anyone passing by... I'm sick of hearing hearsay." She added: "My lad's a very lucky boy." Amanda called for Aaron to release footage from his home CCTV to show what happened, but Aaron said his cameras were not recording at the time. Asked how Antonio is doing, she said: "He's doing really well - he's not been to school though and it's his birthday today (Friday)." She said doctors have warned the boy's scars will be permanent, but his mum added: "Obviously, they will fade with age and I'm going to be getting him some good oil." 'It was the worst thing ever' Amanda previously said her son had managed to run home, but was left covered in blood following the attack. He was later taken to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery. He suffered injuries to his cheeks, underneath his chin and his right thigh. Amanda, 34, said: "It was the worst thing ever, it was horrible. It was so scary. "I couldn't believe my son's face was like that, it was like something out of a horror film." The mum-of-three went on to say: "I heard a scream - you know your child's cry. "Antonio was then at the front door, he had blood all over his face and his cheeks were hanging off his face. "I was screaming, asking what's happened and then I rang the ambulance. "Luckily, the dog didn't remove any skin - they just ripped it. "They've managed to put it all back together, they've done a really good job with him." Despite Antonio's injuries, he seems to be doing well, she'd added. She said: "I thought that bringing him home from the hospital, when we've got a dog, might be an obstacle for him but he's been absolutely fine. "The dog knows that he's been injured so she hasn't left his side. "Antonio is doing okay, you can tell that he's shocked by it. "He's still in a lot of pain but he's doing well." In a Facebook post last week, Amanda said: "My son is 4 years old, he plays with my neighbour's son. "...went in the house for some juice and there dog pounced on my son and attacked him he's lucky to still be comments that are being made on the groups trying to justify the dog are sickening. "If them dogs were brought up right they should never of seen a 4 year old boy as a threat!" A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "We're appealing for information and footage after a child suffered a dog bite in Oswaldtwistle. "We were called at shortly after 1.30pm on Monday 26th May following reports that a child had been bitten by a dog on Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle. "The child, a four-year-old boy, was taken to hospital with injuries to his leg and face. "Thankfully, those injuries are not life threatening. "Two dogs have been seized by police - a Staffordshire Bull Terrier type and a Pocket Bully Type and the dog owner has been identified and will be spoken to in due course." Which dog breeds are banned in the UK? THERE are specific regulations in place that prohibit certain dog breeds from being owned or bred in the UK. So what are the illegal dogs in the UK? Which dog breeds are illegal in the UK? People tend to think of large, vicious dogs when they imagine being bitten by one. But the truth is that many types of dogs are known to bite humans, whether provoked or not. However, it's important to remember that just because a breed tends to bite humans, that doesn't mean that they all do. British law determines five breeds of dog are illegal to own, breed, sell or give away. These are an XL Bully, Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro. 11
Sky News
10 minutes ago
- Sky News
Rachel Reeves turning around UK's finances 'like Steve Jobs did for Apple', claims minister
Rachel Reeves will turn around the economy the way Steve Jobs turned around Apple, a cabinet minister has suggested ahead of the upcoming spending review. Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle compared the chancellor to the late Apple co-founder when asked on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips where the £86bn for his department is coming from. The package, confirmed ahead of the full spending review next week, will see each region in England granted £500m to spend on science projects of their choice, including research into faster drug treatments. Asked by Trevor Phillips how the government is finding the money, Mr Kyle said: "Rachel raised money in taxes in the autumn, we are now allocating it per department. "But the key thing is we are going to be investing record amounts of money into the innovations of the future. "Just bear in mind that how Apple turned itself around when Steve Jobs came back to Apple, they were 90 days from insolvency. That's the kind of situation that we had when we came into office. "Steve Jobs turned it around by inventing the iMac, moving to a series of products like the iPod. "Now we are starting to invest in the vaccine processes of the future, some of the high-tech solutions that are going to be high growth. We're investing in our space sector... they will create jobs in the future." The spending review is a process used by governments to set departmental budgets for the years ahead. Asked if it will include more detail on who will receive winter fuel payments, Mr Kyle said that issue will be "dealt with in the run-up to the autumn". "This is a spending review that's going to set the overall spending constraints for government for the next period, the next three years, so you're sort of talking about two separate issues at the moment," he said. 0:42 Scrapping universal winter fuel payments was one of the first things Labour did in government - despite it not being in their manifesto - with minsters saying it was necessary because of the financial "blackhole" left behind by the Tories. But following a long-drawn out backlash, Sir Keir Starmer said last month that the government would extend eligibility, which is now limited to those on pension credit. It is not clear what the new criteria will be, though Ms Reeves has said the changes will come into place before this winter. Mr Kyle also claimed the spending review will see the government invest "the most we've ever spent per pupil in our school system". However, he said the chancellor will stick to her self-imposed fiscal rules - which rule out borrowing for day-to-day spending - meaning that while some departments will get extra money, others are likely to face cuts.
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Spending review: Schools to get more funding but police warned to ‘do their bit'
Schools are set to receive a funding boost in the spending review, a Cabinet minister has indicated, as he insisted other public services must 'do their bit' amid concerns about cuts to other budgets. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government will commit to investing 'the most we've ever spent per pupil' next week, but declined to rule out the prospect of a real-terms squeeze on areas such as policing. Facing questions from broadcasters on Sunday about which public services will be prioritised, Mr Kyle said 'every part of our society is struggling' and numerous sectors had asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves for more money. 'On the fact that the police have been writing to the Chancellor, they have,' the Cabinet minister told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme. 'We also have letters from the universities, we have letters from doctors about the health service, we have letters from campaigners for child poverty writing to us, and other aspects of challenges in Britain at the moment. 'Every part of our society is struggling because of the inheritance that we had as a country and as a Government.' He pointed to the £1.1 billion extra funding already earmarked for police this year, warning that public services would be expected to 'do their bit' alongside Government as he defended Ms Reeves' stewardship of the country's finances. 'We expect the police to start embracing the change they need to do, to do their bit for change as well. We are doing our bit,' Mr Kyle said. 'You see a Chancellor that is striving to get investment to the key parts of our country that needs it the most… You will see the priorities of this Government reflected in the spending review, which sets the departmental spending into the long term. 'But this is a partnership. Yes, the Treasury needs to find more money for those key priorities, but the people delivering them need to do their bit as well.' The Department of Health is set to be the biggest winner in Ms Reeves' spending review on Wednesday, with the NHS receiving a boost of up to £30 billion at the expense of other public services. Economists have said the expected 2.8% annual increase in its day-to-day budget, which amounts to a rise of about £30 billion by 2028, or £17 billion in real terms, will see other departments squeezed. Speaking on Sunday, Mr Kyle said the schools system, along with an £86 billion funding package for research and development, would be top priorities as the Government seeks to 'invest in the future.' 'You will see in this spending review that we are investing the most we've ever spent per pupil in our school system,' he told Sky News. Mr Kyle said Labour was 'absolutely laser-focused' on delivering manifesto pledges amid questions about how competing commitments will be balanced with little room for manoeuvre amid narrow fiscal headroom. Asked about the Government's plan to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the Parliament, the minister declined to guarantee Housing Secretary Angela Rayner's department would not face cuts. But he added: 'We made a manifesto commitment. We are absolutely laser-focused on delivering that.' He said the Government was also 'on the way' to delivering 13,000 new police officers, another manifesto pledge. Ms Reeves has acknowledged that she had been forced to turn down requests for funding in a sign of the behind-the-scenes wrangling over her spending review. She blamed the former Conservative government's stewardship of the economy rather than her self-imposed fiscal rules, which include a promise to match day-to-day spending with revenues. It comes after the Government announced science and technology sectors would receive new funding as part of an £86 billion package set to be confirmed next week. Mr Kyle's Department for Science, Technology and Innovation (DSIT) said the money would help research into new drug treatments and microchips used to power mobile phones and electric cars. The Tories accused Labour of copying their own plans in office over the commitment. Shadow technology secretary Alan Mak said: 'Labour's central budget announcement seems to be a reheat of Conservative plans just showing this Chancellor will copy and paste anyone's ideas to get out of the mess that she's put herself in. 'As Labour and Reform squabble over how to spend more taxpayers money, only the Conservatives are creating a serious plan for government to deliver growth and give you your country back.'
