Childminder married to Conservative councillor jailed for 31 months in Birmingham after inciting racial violence with online post following Southport attack

Lucy Connolly, a childminder married to a Conservative councillor, has been sentenced to 31 months in prison after pleading guilty to inciting racial hatred.

Connolly’s online post, made on the platform X, called for violence against asylum seekers, following the tragic knife attack at a Southport dance class that resulted in the deaths of three children.

False information spread rapidly on social media, falsely accusing the attacker of being an illegal immigrant, which further fueled the chaos.

The Provocative Post and Public Backlash

Connolly’s post, later deleted, encouraged setting fire to hotels housing asylum seekers.

Despite removing it within hours, the message had already been seen by over 300,000 people.

Her words included, “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fing hotels full of the b***s for all I care…”

She acknowledged during the trial that she had strong anti-immigration views but denied that race or religion influenced her comments.

Connolly claimed that she had been emotionally triggered by the attack, as she had previously experienced the loss of her own child.

Legal Consequences and Judge’s Remarks

At Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Melbourne Inman KC highlighted the seriousness of Connolly’s actions, emphasizing that her post contributed to a volatile situation, leading to widespread riots.

He stated that her actions endangered lives and took advantage of a tragic situation to incite hatred.

Connolly’s timing, coming directly after the Southport incident, was seen as a key factor in the severity of her sentence.

Connolly’s husband, Raymond Connolly, a local Conservative councillor, attended the sentencing but did not comment publicly afterward.

He later expressed that the entire situation had been extremely difficult for his wife and family.