Lucy Connolly Appeals Jail Over Grief-Fuelled Tweet

Lucy Connolly tells top judges her tweet was a grief-fuelled outburst, not a call to violence, as she fights to overturn her jail term in hate speech case.

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:

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:

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