Tory councillor's wife guilty of stirring up racial hatred

The wife of a Conservative Party councillor has admitted publishing a social media post stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers on the day of the Southport knife killings.

- TARA COBHAM

Lucy Connolly, 41, appeared at Northampton Crown Court via video link to HMP Peterborough yesterday, when she pleaded guilty to publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred.

Wearing a flower-patterned short-sleeved dress, the 41-year-old childminder spoke only to enter her plea and confirm she could hear the judge during a hearing that lasted seven minutes. Her husband, West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, watched from the public gallery in the courtroom.

A previous hearing was told Connolly, of Parkfield Avenue, Northampton, posted a message to X/Twitter, on the day three young girls were stabbed to death in Southport, which 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.”

Adjourning the defendant’s case for sentence at Birmingham Crown Court on 17 October, Judge Adrienne Lucking KC told her the ordering of pre-sentence reports was no indication of the likely sentence. The judge said the case was being transferred to Birmingham to avoid any potential appearance of bias given Connolly’s husband held a political post in the local area.

Judge Lucking told Connolly: “Sentencing will entirely be a matter for the judge on the next occasion, but it’s likely to be a substantial custodial sentence. In the meantime, you are remanded in custody.”