Childminder who posted vile tweet on day of Southport attack being released from jail

The wife of a former Conservative county councillor jailed for calling for migrant hotels to be set on fire on the day of the Southport attack will be released in weeks.

The Court of Appeal has ruled Lucy Connolly, 41, had not intended the post to incite violence with the post in which she urged people to "set fire to all the f* hotels full of the b** for all I care". It means Connolly, who prior to her conviction was a childminder, will go free from HMP Peterborough in August having served 40 per cent of her term.

She was jailed for 31 months in October following the tweet, which was viewed more than 300,000 times before it was deleted. The mum was found guilty of inciting racial hatred, after a court heard "serious disorder" broke out across the country following the murders of three young girls in Southport, Merseyside. False rumours spread online that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. It comes after girl, 3, was found dead on a popular Greece tourist beach by a horrified passerby.

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In full, Connolly's tweet read: "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." Her sentence, handed out at Birmingham Crown Court, was designed "to both punish and deter".

But her husband, former West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, was among several politicians to react with anger. Nigel Farage previously called for her release and called her jail term "absolutely excessive".

Speaking at an event in May, Mr Farage, who is Leader of Reform, said: "I want to make it absolutely clear: Lucy Connolly should not be in prison. While she should not have said what she said, understand there were millions of mothers at that moment in time after Southport feeling exactly the same way."

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "People have received less time in jail — or no time — for actual physical and sexual assaults." However, Sir Keir Starmer has defended the sentence, saying he would "always support" the UK court system.

But Connolly, from Northampton, is likely to be released next month, having served just 40 per cent of her term. One of Connolly's pals said she would be "with a glass of Whispering Angel in hand" this time in August, reports the Evening Standard.

Following the Southport atrocities, there was a wave of unrest across the country with migrants being targeted in attacks at hotels. There were also several clashes with police in cities and towns in England.