Tory councillor's wife jailed for stirring up racial hatred

The wife of a Conservative councillor who used social media to stir up racial hatred against asylum seekers on the day of the Southport attacks told a WhatsApp user she would “play the mental health card” if she was arrested.

- JANE DALTON

Lucy Connolly was jailed yesterday for 31 months for inciting racial hatred.

The 41-year-old, who is married to West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, had posted a message on Twitter/X that read: “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”, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Then, a week later, the former childminder sent a WhatsApp message joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bitten me on the arse, lol”.

Prosecutor Naeem Valli said Connolly also sent a message saying she intended to work her notice period as a childminder “on the sly” despite being deregistered. Mr Valli added: “She then goes on to say that if she were to get arrested she would play the mental health card.”