Tory councillor’s spouse pleads responsible to stirring up racial hatred throughout riots
The wife of a Conservative Party councillor has pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers on social media during the riots.
LucyConnolly appeared at at Northampton Crown Court as her husband, West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, watched from the public gallery. She pleaded guilty to publishing threatening or abusive material intending to stir up racial hatred and is likely to be sentenced to time in jail.
The 41-year-old was accused of calling for attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers in a post on X, formerly Twitter. In a post on the day three girls were stabbed to death in Southport, she 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 will remain in custody until she is sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on October 17. Judge Adrienne Lucking KC 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 she was likely to be sentenced to a long time in prison. “Sentencing will entirely be a matter for the judge on the next occasion but it’s likely to be a substantial custodial sentence,” she said. “In the meantime, you are remanded in custody.”
Riots erupted across the country after an attack on children taking part in a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the end of July. Misinformation and the inciting of violence online and social media was linked to the riots. Hundreds of thugs who looted on the streets or incited violence online were told they faced arrests, charges and prosecution.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and PM Keir Starmer vowed to find those who stirred up hate online. Ms Cooper condemned “armchair thuggery” and “keyboard warriors” who were organising and inciting violence online. As part of their investigations police monitored social media sites, from Facebook to TikTok, in an attempt to catch those stirring up disorder or racial hatred, as well as those who incriminate themselves by posting photos or livestreams of them taking part in riots.
Jordan Parlour, 28, became the first person to be charged with stirring up racial hatred on social media in connection with the violent disorder. He pleaded guilty to using threatening words or behaviour to stir up racial hatred on Facebook after advocating an attack on a hotel where asylum seekers were housed in Leeds.
Social media firms were warned they have a responsibility to ensure crime is not committed on their platforms. Concerns have been raised about X/Twitter, with its owner Elon Musk accused of playing a part in stoking tensions after he launched a war of words over the riots with our PM Mr Starmer. The Online Safety Act, which will place new requirements on tech firms, is yet to be properly enforced by media regulator Ofcom.
