Lucy Connolly Appeals Jail Over Grief-Fuelled Tweet

Lucy Connolly,who was convicted of inciting racial hatred has launched a Court of Appeal challenge against her 31-month prison sentence, arguing she never intended to provoke violence when she posted an inflammatory message on social media in the immediate aftermath of the Southport stabbings.

Lucy Connolly, the wife of former West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor Ray Connolly, was sentenced in October last year after pleading guilty to a single count of inciting racial hatred. The offence related to a post she made on 29 July on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the fatal stabbing of three girls at a holiday club in Southport. In the now-deleted post, viewed more than 310,000 times in under four hours, Connolly wrote:

“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 hearing before the Court of Appeal was presided over by Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Sheldon. Connolly gave evidence remotely via video link from HMP Drake Hall, a women’s prison in Eccleshall, Staffordshire.

She told the court:

“When I wrote that tweet there had been no violence and it was never my intention to cause any.”

She said she had been “really angry, really upset” and was “distressed that those children had died.” Her counsel, Adam King, submitted that the tweet had been a “spontaneous outburst” driven by emotional turmoil, not a deliberate attempt to stir racial hatred or violence.

The court was told that Connolly’s emotional response had been influenced by the tragic death of her own son around 14 years ago, and that the events in Southport had re-triggered symptoms of grief and anxiety. She added: “Those parents still have to live a life of grief. It sends me into a state of anxiety, and I worry about my children.”

King further asked whether she had intended anyone to act on the content of her message, specifically referencing arson or attacks on politicians. Connolly replied: “Absolutely not.” When questioned on why the post was later removed, she said: “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.”

The court heard that Connolly posted an apology some days later, stating in a follow-up message on X that she regretted her comments and now recognised they were “wrong in every way.” She said the decision to publicly apologise was partly driven by the fact that her husband had been drawn into the public controversy, adding: “He didn’t deserve to have his name dragged through the mud.”

In a further development, Connolly told the court she had not fully understood the legal implications of her guilty plea. She said that during discussions with her barrister at the Crown Court, Liam Muir, she had not realised that admitting guilt would amount to an acceptance that she intended to incite violence. “When I wrote that tweet there had been no violence and it was never my intention to cause any,” she repeated.

The Crown, opposing the appeal, argued that the sentence was both proportionate and necessary, given the gravity of the offence, the reach of the message and the timing — published on a day of national unrest and fear. Prosecutors submitted that while Connolly may not have actively intended for her words to lead to violence, the nature and language of the post, in the context of heightened public tension, made the risk of incitement more than theoretical.

The court was also reminded that the police, upon arresting Connolly on 6 August, recovered further messages from her seized mobile device that contained racist language, although those messages were not the subject of any separate charge. By that time, Connolly had already deleted her X account.

Outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Ray Connolly addressed reporters after the hearing.

“Obviously I’m disappointed today. It didn’t come to a conclusion and get a result,”

he said. “It’s 279 days now my daughter’s been without her mother. I’m hoping that within a week she’ll be home and this will come to a positive conclusion.”

Ray Connolly lost his Conservative council seat on 1 May but remains a sitting member of Northampton Town Council. During Thursday’s hearing, a small number of Connolly’s supporters held a demonstration outside the court in central London.

The panel of judges concluded proceedings by stating that judgment was “reserved” and would be handed down in written form “as soon as possible.”

Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.