Tory councillor's wife jailed for inciting hatred during Southport riots

Lucy Connolly, wife of Tory councillor Raymond Connolly, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for inciting racial hatred after posting inflammatory messages on social media during the Southport riots. She urged violence against hotels housing asylum seekers. Her husband described the situation as new for them, noting their only previous legal issue was a driving incident. He stated that Lucy plans to appeal her sentence and emphasized her difficult past, including the loss of a child. The judge highlighted the serious consequences of her posts, which were viewed over 310,000 times before deletion. He noted that her actions contributed to unrest and violence in various areas, reflecting a broader issue of social division.