A childminder jailed for calling for migrant hotels to be set on fire on the day of the Southport attack will be released from HMP Peterborough in August after serving 40 per cent of her 31-month sentence, The Sun understands.
Lucy Connolly, 41, the wife of a former Conservative councillor, was imprisoned in October 2024 after pleading guilty to inciting racial hatred following a tweet that was viewed more than 310,000 times before she deleted it three-and-a-half hours later.
Her post, written hours after three girls were murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July 2024, 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.” The tweet was prompted by false online rumours that the suspect was an illegal immigrant.
Connolly, from Northampton, lost an appeal against her sentence in May when Lord Justice Holroyde, Mr Justice Goss and Mr Justice Sheldon dismissed her challenge at the Court of Appeal. She had argued the sentence was “manifestly excessive” and claimed she never intended to incite violence.
The case has sparked fierce political debate, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling her jail term “absolutely excessive” and demanding her release. Speaking at an event in May, Farage 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 added his voice to the criticism, stating: “People have received less time in jail — or no time — for actual physical and sexual assaults.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the punishment as “disproportionately severe,” whilst former Prime Minister Liz Truss called for her immediate release, labelling the sentence “completely unjustifiable and a shocking example of two-tier justice.
During her original sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Melbourne Inman KC told Connolly she had published her words at a “volatile time” that led to “mindless violence.” The court heard she had sent a WhatsApp message on 5 August joking that the tweet to her 10,000 followers had “bit me on the arse, lol.
The prosecution revealed Connolly had posted another message saying she would “play the mental health card” if arrested. Other social media posts included commenting on a sword attack with “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders” and responding to a Tommy Robinson video with “Somalian I guess” accompanied by a vomiting emoji.
In mitigation, Connolly’s lawyer Liam Muir said she had been “triggered” by the deaths in Southport, having lost a son herself 14 years ago, but maintained that race had not been the motivating factor. The court heard that news of the Southport murders had caused a resurgence of anxiety around her own child’s death.
Reports emerged in June that Connolly had been “manhandled without provocation” in prison. Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, who visited her at HMP Peterborough, claimed she had been left with “bruises” after being “dragged up three flights of stairs” and stripped of privileges by prison officers.
Despite being eligible for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) since November 2024, which would have allowed her up to two overnight home stays per month, documents suggest her application was delayed due to concerns over public and media interest rather than failing to meet criteria. One internal note stated: “It is not necessarily going to happen due to the public interest.”
Prison service sources denied claims that Connolly’s ROTL application had been blocked, stating it was being considered by the governor at HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire, where she was transferred in January 2025. A prison service spokesman said: “Decisions on release on temporary licence and home detention curfew are made following uncompromising risk assessments to prioritise public safety.
The case has attracted international attention, with a White House spokesperson confirming in May they were “monitoring” Connolly’s case. A fundraiser for her legal fees has reportedly passed £100,000 ($126,000), with supporters arguing she was “expressing the anguish and frustration felt by millions of British people.”
Sir Keir Starmer has defended the sentence, saying he would “always support” the UK court system. The Prime Minister’s stance comes as his government faces criticism over what opponents call “two-tier justice” in the handling of cases related to the Southport riots.
Connolly’s husband Raymond, who lost his West Northamptonshire Council seat in May but remains a Northampton town councillor, has maintained his wife’s innocence. Speaking outside court after her failed appeal, he said: “It’s 279 days now my daughter’s been without her mother.
The former childminder will be released on licence next month, having served approximately 10 months of her sentence. One of Connolly’s friends recently shared that she will be “with a glass of Whispering Angel in-hand” this time in August.
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