Lucy Connolly has today been released from prison after being jailed for writing a ‘racist’ tweet during last summer’s riots.
The mother had more than a year behind bars after admitting making the inflammatory post on X in the wake of the Southport attacks in July last year.
Connolly, who is the wife of Tory councillor Ray Connolly, pleaded guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred and was handed a 31-month sentence in October, having been held on remand following her arrest last August.
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.’
Connolly’s imprisonment had prompted allegations that she was a victim of ‘two-tier justice’, with claims that those with right-wing views are treated more harshly than others in the UK.
The 42-year-old’s prison sentence became a cause célèbre among campaigners, and supporters argued her sentence was a politicised response to last August’s ‘far right’ Southport rioting.
Many pointed out that criminals who commit crimes such as burglary or assault receive lesser sentences, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioning today: ‘Why exactly did the Attorney General think that was in the public interest?’
She had been serving time at HMP Peterborough and had an application to have her sentence reduced rejected in May.
But today Connolly was freed after months of pressure from campaigners, allowing her to reunite with her husband and 12-year-old daughter.
The former childminder was driven away from prison in a taxi, hours after it was first revealed by the Daily Mail that she would be released.
The mother and former childminder (pictured) had spent more than nine months behind bars after admitting making the inflammatory post on X in July last year
Connolly was taken away from HMP Peterborough in a taxi (pictured) after being released this morning
Lucy Connolly’s husband Ray seen outside the couple’s home in Northampton this morning
Lucy Connolly (pictured) has walked free from prison after being jailed for writing a racist tweet during last summer’s riots
The former childminder has been held at the 1,200-inmate prison, on an industrial estate north of the town centre, since mid-June. Previously she was at HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire
Connolly will reunite with her husband Ray and their 12-year-old daughter at their £400,000 semi detached house in a quiet street on the outskirts of Northampton.
Mr Connolly told the Daily Mail this morning: ‘It will be good to have her home!’
The local Tory councillor, who was busy watering hanging baskets in the couple’s front garden to ensure that her homecoming was picture perfect, said their family’s focus from now would be ‘to get our lives back on track.’
He said that both he and Lucy had coped with her imprisonment ‘relatively well’.
But he added: ‘The only person who hasn’t is our 12-year-old daughter. She has found it very difficult not having her mum at home.
‘So well done Keir Starmer for making it so difficult for a 12–year-old girl. Let’s give him a pat on the back.’
This was a reference to the Prime Minister being seen as the epitome of the legal system that he came from and then headed the Crown Prosecution Service – which supporters of Lucy Connolly believe has treated her unfairly.
Connolly is also the wife of Tory councillor Ray Connolly (pictured together)
The Tory councillor was seen watering flowers in preparation for his wife’s release from prison today
Today Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, questioned the public interest in punishing her so harshly.
In a post on X, she wrote: ‘Lucy Connolly finally returns home to her family today. At last. Her punishment was harsher than the sentences handed down for bricks thrown at police or actual rioting.
‘At that time, after Southport, Keir Starmer branded all protesters ‘far-right’ and called for ‘fast-track prosecutions’.
‘Days later, Lucy was charged with stirring up racial hatred – an offence that doesn’t even require intent to incite violence. Why exactly did the Attorney General think that was in the public interest?
‘Meanwhile, former Labour councillor Ricky Jones called for protestors to have their throats slit. Charged with encouraging violent disorder, he pleaded not guilty and was acquitted by a jury who saw his words as a disgusting remark made in the heat of the moment, not a call to action.
‘Juries are a cornerstone of justice, but we shouldn’t have to rely on them to protect basic freedoms. Protecting people from words should not be given greater weight in law than public safety.
‘If the law does this, then the law itself is broken – and it’s time Parliament looked again at the Public Order Act.’
Connolly’s X post was made just hours after killer Axel Rudakubana murdered three young girls and attempted to murder ten others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024, sparking nationwide unrest.
Ray Connolly (centre) with supporters outside the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London in May
Riot police hold back protesters near a burning police vehicle after disorder breaks out in Southport on July 30, 2024
It came amid speculation, which was later proved to be false, that the murders had been committed by an illegal immigrant.
She was arrested on August 6, by which point she had deleted her social media account.
But other messages which included other damning remarks were uncovered by officers who seized her phone.
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.
In May, she had an appeal against her sentence refused by three Court of Appeal judges at the Royal Courts of Justice.
Connolly argued 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.
Serious violence and rioting by demonstrators broke out on the streets in Southport on July 30, 2024
She also said that news of the Southport murders had triggered her anxiety from when her baby son, Harry, died as the result of a hospital blunder 13 years earlier.
At her appeal case, 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.
At the time Mr Connolly told of the pain of his wife’s long imprisonment, saying: ‘The 284 days of separation have been very hard, particularly on our 12-year-old girl.’
Connolly’s case later became international news, with US officials saying earlier this year they are keeping tabs on developments over their ‘concerns’ about free speech.
A State Department spokesman said in May: ‘We can confirm that we are monitoring this matter. The United States supports freedom of expression at home and abroad, and remains concerned about infringements on freedom of expression.’
It came after political commentator and Trump ally Charlie Kirk was made aware of Connolly’s ordeal after a visit to the UK and vowed to get the US State Department involved in the process.
Appearing on GB News, Kirk said: ‘I am going to try and get the US State Department involved. I’m going to bring this up to Marco Rubio. I’m going to send him a text.’
Kirk had been in the UK for a debate at the Oxford Union on Monday when the case of Mrs Connolly was raised.
Mrs Connolly’s case was raised with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (pictured)
Charlie Kirk (pictured) was made aware of Connolly’s ordeal after a visit to the UK and vowed to get the US State Department involved in the process
He later appeared on GB News, during which he said: ‘I’m sorry, speaking as a citizen, not on behalf of the US government, is this a way that a liberal democracy and ally of the United States acts?’
Kirk continued: ‘I just find it so outrageous that she is now going to jail for two and a half years for a deleted social media post that she apologised for. As you guys (the UK) have birthed free speech to the world, you are now becoming a totalitarian country.
‘I’m going to bring this up to Marco Rubio. I’m going to send him a text. This should be mentioned. It’s not new.’
Connolly’s sentence was recently brought under the spotlight again last month after a man who abused a first class cabin crew on a flight from London was jailed for just 15 months.
Recruitment tycoon Salman Iftikhar, 37, was flying in first class when he launched a vile tirade of abuse towards Virgin Atlantic staff on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore in his homeland of Pakistan.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the sentence was evidence of ‘two-tier justice’, given Connolly was jailed for more than double his sentence.
Mr Philp told the Mail last month: ‘Iftikar was sentenced to only 15 months in prison last week for threatening an air stewardess with gang rape and for racially aggravated harassment. Iftikhar has multiple previous convictions.
‘Yet Lucy Connolly got 31 months for a far less serious offence – a prosecution Lord Hermer personally authorised.
‘This is two-tier justice in action.
‘I have today referred the case to the Attorney General Lord Hermer for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
‘We’ll now find out if Hermer is willing to take action to fix Britain’s two-tier justice problem.’
