Latest news with #SouthportMurders
The Independent
28-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Speed of release of race and ethnicity of Liverpool suspect ‘unprecedented'
The speed at which police released the race and ethnicity of the suspect in the Liverpool car incident is 'unprecedented', a former chief superintendent has said. Merseyside Police confirmed they had a arrested a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area around two hours after the incident that left dozens of people, including four children, hurt. The force was criticised in the wake of the Southport murders last summer for not releasing more information after false rumours were started online that the killer was a Muslim asylum seeker. Former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent Dal Babu told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'What we do have, which is unprecedented, is the police very quickly giving the ethnicity and the race of the person who was driving the vehicle… and it was Merseyside Police who didn't give that information with the Southport horrific murders of those three girls, and the rumours were that it was an asylum seeker who arrived on a boat and it was a Muslim extremist, and that wasn't the case. 'So I think what the police have done very, very quickly, and I've never known a case like this before where they've given the ethnicity and the race of the individual who was involved in it, so I think that was to dampen down some of the speculation from the far-right that sort of continues on X even as we speak that this was a Muslim extremist and there's a conspiracy theory.' In March, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told MPs she wanted to dispel disinformation in the immediate aftermath of the Southport murders by releasing information about attacker Axel Rudakubana's religion, because he came from a Christian family, but was told not to by local crown prosecutors. Police did disclose that the suspect was a 17-year-old male from Banks in Lancashire, who was born in Cardiff. Widespread rioting followed the murders, with some disorder targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram backed the force's unusual decision to release the information about the Liverpool suspect so quickly. He told reporters: 'If you have a look at my timeline, there was somebody very quickly saying 'Why are you lying? There's been another incident in another part of the city', which obviously wasn't true, and then they were trying to stir it up who might be responsible for it. 'That's why I think the police acted… to dampen that sort of speculation, because it was designed to inflame. It was designed to divide.' Asked if he would like to see similar details released in the future in similar cases, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'That is a matter for the police and the investigation is ongoing so I think we need to leave that to them. 'I think today is a day really for thinking about all those impacted by this and being absolutely clear that we stand with them.'
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Speed of release of race and ethnicity of Liverpool suspect ‘unprecedented'
The speed at which police released the race and ethnicity of the suspect in the Liverpool car incident is 'unprecedented', a former chief superintendent has said. Merseyside Police confirmed they had a arrested a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area about two hours after the incident that left dozens of people, including four children, hurt. The force was criticised in the wake of the Southport murders last summer for not releasing more information after false rumours were started online that the killer of three young girls was a Muslim asylum seeker. Former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent Dal Babu told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'What we do have, which is unprecedented, is the police very quickly giving the ethnicity and the race of the person who was driving the vehicle ... and it was Merseyside Police who didn't give that information with the Southport horrific murders of those three girls, and the rumours were that it was an asylum seeker who arrived on a boat and it was a Muslim extremist and that wasn't the case. READ MORE 'So I think what the police have done very, very quickly, and I've never known a case like this before where they've given the ethnicity and the race of the individual who was involved in it, so I think that was to dampen down some of the speculation from the far-right that sort of continues on X even as we speak that this was a Muslim extremist and there's a conspiracy theory.' In March Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told MPs she wanted to dispel disinformation in the immediate aftermath of the Southport murders by releasing information about the attacker Axel Rudakubana's religion, as he came from a Christian family, but was told not to by local crown prosecutors. Police did disclose that the suspect was a 17-year-old male from Banks in Lancashire, who was born in Cardiff. Widespread rioting followed the murders, with some disorder targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. − PA
Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Lucy Connolly: ex-councillor's wife loses appeal over jail for tweet
A Conservative councillor's wife who was jailed for inciting racial hatred in a social media post after the Southport murders has lost her attempt at the Court of Appeal to have the sentence reduced. Lucy Connolly, from Northampton, was jailed for 31 months after a post on X on July 29 last year in which she called for 'mass deportation now', adding: 'Set fire to all the … hotels full of the bastards for all I care.' 'If that makes me racist, so be it,' she wrote on the post, which was viewed 310,000 times in the three and a half hours before she deleted it. Initial speculation that the Southport stabbings were the responsibility of an asylum seeker, which contributed to riots across England,
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
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.
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Mother jailed for Southport social media post to fight sentence
A mother jailed for a social media post after the Southport murders will bid to appeal against the sentence this week. Lucy Connolly, a former childminder from Northampton, was jailed for 31 months after she posted on X calling for mass deportations and setting fire to asylum hotels 'for all I care'. She wrote: 'I feel physically sick knowing what these [Southport] families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist, so be it.' The post came after three girls were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29, provoking national unrest. Connolly's post was viewed 310,000 times in the three and a half hours before she deleted it. In October, Connolly, who is married to Raymond Connolly, a former Tory councillor, was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred. Her bid to challenge her sentence is scheduled to be heard at the Court of Appeal in London on Thursday, according to court listings. The 42-year-old was arrested on Aug, 6 and police officers found other posts of her commenting on the sword attack carried out by Axel Rudakubana. She had also sent a tweet commenting on the stabbings that read: 'I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.' During sentencing, Judge Melbourne Inman KC, the recorder of Birmingham, said Connolly was 'well aware how volatile the situation was', adding that she had encouraged activity which threatened or endangered life. Last month, Suella Braverman, the former home secretary, called for Connolly's release. 'Lucy Connolly is a victim of a politicised two-tier justice system in Starmer's Britain. She should not be in prison,' she said. 'Yes, her comments were crass, tasteless and vile, and I disagree with them. Lucy deleted them quickly and apologised for her error of judgment. That is why the sentence of 31 months' custody for her first-time offence seems excessive. 'She has deliberately been made an example of to intimidate others into silence. [George] Orwell was out by 40 years. Otherwise, he was spot on.' Liz Truss, the former prime minister, also called for Connolly's release, saying: 'Lucy Connolly should be released immediately and reunited with her family. 'The severity of her sentence is completely unjustifiable and a shocking example of two-tier justice which now prevails in Britain. 'We are now suffering the consequences of a system that has been captured by Leftist ideology.'
