By Dayo Ade Olusola | M10News, Crime Desk | 31 July 2025
A woman jailed for inciting racial hatred after calling for migrant hotels to be set on fire may be released from prison within weeks, according to reports.
Lucy Connolly, a 41-year-old childminder and wife of former Tory councillor Raymond Connolly, was convicted last year for an offensive post she published on the social media site X, formerly Twitter.
The post, which followed the deadly Southport dance class attack, was viewed more than 300,000 times in just four hours before Connolly deleted it.
In the message, Connolly wrote: “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.”
The offensive statement, published on the day of the Southport incident, prompted widespread backlash and a police investigation, leading to her arrest and subsequent trial.
Connolly was convicted of inciting racial hatred and sentenced to 31 months in prison in October 2024.
The social media post was linked to false rumours that spread online in the wake of the Southport killings, suggesting that the attacker was an illegal immigrant.
In reality, the perpetrator of the triple murder was Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old who fatally stabbed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The victims, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, all lost their lives in the tragic incident.
Eight other children and two adults were also injured during the attack, which sent shockwaves across the country and led to widespread civil unrest.
Riots followed in several towns and cities, resulting in dozens of prosecutions and a growing debate over the role of misinformation and online radicalisation.
Despite her conviction, Connolly has received public support from figures such as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch.
Both politicians have criticised her sentence as “disproportionately severe” and argued that it raises concerns over freedom of expression.
The Free Speech Union, which helped fund her legal battle, described the failed appeal as “deeply disappointing” and expressed alarm at what they called an overreach by the state.
In May, Connolly’s attempt to reduce her sentence was rejected by the Court of Appeal.
Delivering the decision, Lord Justice Holroyde stated: “There is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive.”
“The application for leave to appeal against sentence therefore fails and is refused,” he added.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the judiciary’s handling of the case, stating that he “will always support” the UK’s justice system.
However, The Sun has now reported that Connolly could be released as early as August, having served less than half of her 31-month sentence at HMP Peterborough.
Under UK sentencing guidelines, prisoners serving determinate sentences can typically be released on licence halfway through their term unless deemed a public threat.
Connolly’s legal team has not confirmed whether she will pursue any further legal challenges or if she plans to speak publicly upon release.
Her case continues to polarise opinion in the UK, highlighting tensions between national security, online speech, and civil liberties.
Editing by M10News Crime Desk | Contact: crime@m10news.com
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