The racist wife of a former Conservative county councillor who called for asylum hotels to be burned down has been released from jail today.

Lucy Connolly, 42, was sentenced to 31 months in prison after she shared a horrific tweet after the Southport stabbing attack, calling migrants ba*s as she disgustingly wrote “if that makes me racist so be it”.

The mum, and wife of ex-Tory councillor Ray Connolly, admitted to inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” written material on X and was thrown into jail in October. The post, which was viewed 300,000 times before it was deleted, said: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f hotels full of the bastards for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.”

10:51Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

The mum shocked the nation with her disgusting post during the Southport riots as she quickly deleted the post and her social media account.

Despite this, the ex-Tory councillor’s wife had shared other vile posts.

The court was told the mum shared a post following a sword attack which said: “I bet my house it was one of these boat invaders.”

Connolly also commented on a video shared by far-right activist Tommy Robinson where she wrote “Somalian I guess” with a vomiting emoji.

Despite this, her husband claimed his former childminder wife was not racist, previously saying: “She’s got Somalian and Bangladeshi kids she looks after and she loves them like they’re her own.”

Lucy Connolly has been released from jail (X)

10:42Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended it earlier this year.

He was asked in May about Connolly’s case after her Court of Appeal application against her jail term was dismissed.

Asked during Prime Minister’s Questions whether her imprisonment was an “efficient or fair use” of prison, Sir Keir said: “Sentencing is a matter for our courts and I celebrate the fact that we have independent courts in this country.

“I am strongly in favour of free speech, we’ve had free speech in this country for a very long time and we protect it fiercely.

“But I am equally against incitement to violence against other people. I will always support the action taken by our police and courts to keep our streets and people safe.”

10:39Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

Raymond Connolly had been a Tory West Northamptonshire county councillor, but lost his seat in May. He remains on the town council.

He previously attepmted to flag that his wife’s shocking post was deleted after three-and-a-half hours after it was set out. Despite his pleas his wife’s vile post had been viewed over 310,000 times.

Raymond and Lucy Connolly (SWNS)

10:28KEY EVENT

Lucy Connolly, who shared a racist post amid the Southport riots, has been released from prison.

The wife of an ex-Tory councillor served just nine months of her 31-month sentence for inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” written material on X. The former childminder, from Northampton, was ordered to serve 40% of her sentence in prison before being released on licence.

Connolly was driven from HMP Peterborough in a taxi on Thursday morning, a prison source said.

Connolly was released from HMP Peterborough this morning (PA)

10:17Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

During the ex-Tory councillor wife’s trial in Birmingham Crown Court, it was heard the childminder later sent a Whatsapp message saying she would “play the mental health card” if she was arrested over her vile post.

The hearing also heard she sent another Whatsapp message saying the post, to her 10,000 followers, had “bit me on the arse, lol”.

10:11Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

Lucy Connolly, 41, was jailed for 31 months after she pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred by publishing and distributing “threatening or abusive” on X during the horror Southport riots.

The mum and childminder was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court in October last year and has served just over eight months of her sentence behind bars.

Her shocking racist post was viewed over 310,000 times in the three-and-a-half hours it was live before she deleted it.

10:06Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

A resident of the hotel at the centre of horror anti-migrant protests has pleaded for demonstrations to stop.

Khadar Mohamed, 24, revealed the people inside the Bell Hotel in Epping were “living in pain and fear” during each protest outside the site. The 24-year-olds plea comes after the Home Office was ordered to curb their stay in the hotel.

Khadar, who said he had won his claim for political asylum, said: “I want everybody to know that there are no paedophiles and rapists living inside this hotel. We don’t sympathise with that behaviour and if we had had the chance we would have stopped it. It is only one claim against an individual, not against everybody inside the hotel.

“So now we’ve got 50 to 60 days to leave and none of us know what it’s going to happen. But there is no need for these people to be shouting at us from outside.

“I speak very good English but I’ve never heard the word “scumbag” until these people came along. It is very painful to be called these names and when people pass you in their cars and you walk along the streets they make noises at you and bad faces.”

Khadar fled to the UK from his village of Elbur in Somalia in 2022 after terrorists took command and ordered him to join their ranks.

Read the full story here.

Khadar Mohamed lives in the Bell Hotel in Epping

09:44Elizabeta Ranxburgaj

The ex-Tory councillor’s wife shared a horrific post on X during the Southport riots, which was viewed over 300,000 times before being deleted.

Connolly said: “Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f hotels full of the bastards for all I care… if that makes me racist so be it.”