Jailed spouse of ex-Tory councillor loses sentence attraction over Southport tweet

A childminder who was once jailed for 31 months after calling for inns housing asylum seekers to be set on hearth after the Southport assaults has misplaced an attraction towards her sentence on the Court of Appeal.

Lucy Connolly, who was once married to a Conservative councillor, stated in an X postin July remaining yr: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care … if that makes me racist so be it.”

The submit got here after 3 ladies had been killed in a knife assault at a vacation membership in Southport on 29 July, sparking national unrest.

It was once seen 310,000 occasions in three-and-a-half hours earlier than Connolly deleted it.

The former childminder was once sentenced at Birmingham crown courtroom remaining October after pleading responsible to a fee of inciting racial hatred.

She is married to Raymond Connolly, who have been a Tory councillor for West Northamptonshire, however misplaced his seat in May this yr.

The courtroom heard that the day earlier than Connolly was once arrested, she had despatched a WhatsApp message pronouncing the “raging tweet about burning down hotels has bit me on the arse lol”.

She additionally stated she would “play the mental health card” if arrested, and would deny accountability for the submit if requested.

Naeem Valli, prosecuting, stated Connolly, who has no earlier conviction, additionally despatched a message pronouncing she meant to paintings her understand duration as a childminder “on the sly” regardless of being deregistered.

She additionally despatched any other tweet commenting on a sword assault that learn: “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.”