Lucy Connolly Pleads Guilty to Inciting Racial Hatred Following Southport Stabbings

A woman named Lucy Connolly has admitted to inciting racial hatred after posting inflammatory remarks on social media regarding hotels housing asylum seekers. This incident occurred in the wake of the tragic stabbings in Southport, which resulted in the deaths of three young children.

Lucy Connolly, aged 41, posted her comments on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the violent attacks on July 29. Connolly was influenced by false information circulating online suggesting that the perpetrator was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK illegally.

In her now-deleted post, Connolly called for mass deportations and incited violence against immigrants, stating, “If that makes me racist, so be it.” Her comments were shared by Tyler Kay, a 26-year-old father who has already been sentenced to 38 months for similar offenses.

Authorities interviewed Connolly on August 6, where she admitted to writing the post that incited racial hatred. She was subsequently charged on August 9. During her court appearance at Northampton Crown Court, Connolly pled guilty to one count of inciting racial hatred and has been remanded in custody, awaiting sentencing on October 17 at Birmingham Crown Court.

Frank Ferguson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, emphasized the seriousness of Connolly’s actions, stating that using abusive language to fuel racism online is illegal and unacceptable. Connolly expressed strong negative views about immigration and questioned the safety of children in the presence of immigrants.

In the aftermath of the Southport tragic events, which led to protests and widespread misinformation, Connolly later expressed regret for her comments, attributing her actions to «false and malicious» information that had circulated online.

Connolly is the wife of Conservative West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, who described the situation as traumatic for their family. He expressed hope that his wife would learn from this experience. Their family has faced significant challenges, including the loss of their son Harry, who died in 2012 due to medical errors.