To think Lucy Connolly has been made an example of?

[SouthernFashionista]

Have any of you read this article about Lucy Connolly who tweeted inflammatory comments following the Southport murders? I have to admit that at the time I was fully supportive of having her locked up, with the key thrown away. But reading this article made me view it all a little differently. Surely she has done her time?
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/04/lucy-connolly-southport-riots-axel-rudakubana-taylor-swift/

What about Julie Sweeney, 53, carer for her husband
https://x.com/cheshirepolice/status/1823741263968968895
personally I have no sympathy for either of them but Lucy Connolly, based on what the police found on her phone can do her time.

The same way they (other judges) chose not to jail paedophiles and rapists.

Yeah… that’s not how it works.

Lucy Connolly's crime also starts with a community order. Saying she doesn't care is significantly different from calling for attacks. It is also far less serious than possessing CSA images.

No the judge couldn't have given her a community order. Judges have sentening guidelines they must follow. The minimum for the crime Connolly committed is 3 and a half years, with 25% off for a guilty plea.

What do you mean "her crime starts with a community order"?

Can you link to cases where convicted rapists or people who have been convicted of sexually abused children have not been given a custodial sentence? The only way that could happen I think is due to time spent on bail.

https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/crown-court/item/rape/

I mean the sentencing guidelines based on category. Despite being frequently repeated on this thread, it isn't true that there was an automatic custodial sentence, it depended on how she was charged. The punishment does not fit the crime and it's really odd.

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65298929" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65298929.amp

She was charged with distributing material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred. Which means a custodial sentence.

What exactly do you think she should have been charged with?

The category of the crime coupled WITH the level of culpability which is what she pled guilty to carries a sentence of 2-6 years, with the starting point being 3 years.

At another grade , with a different level of culpability , there are indeed lower sentences or even community orders available. That is NOT what she pled though.

That case is under is Scottish law, not English law.

It is absolutely abhorrent to me that the rapist was not jailed but like it or not the judge was following Scottish sentencing guidelines.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-65298929

https://www.scottishsentencingcouncil.org.uk/news-and-media/news/sentencing-young-people-guideline-comes-into-effect

It was a cat 1 , level A.

It's definitely arguable that it wasn't, not anywhere near. Or is saying you don't care if something happens the most serious crime now? Remember, she didn't say she wanted it to happen, she didn't call for anyone to actually do it, all she said was she didn't care.

Is it or is it not a case of a convicted rapist walking free? I didn't assume everyone on this thread is based in England or Wales.

How? That's what they decided to charge her with but there is no way what she said could reasonably be classed as category A. It proves there was a political element to many of the charges.

It doesn’t matter what you or I think. That’s what she was charged with and pled guilty to. Her counsel(rightly or wrongly) agreed.That crime, at that level. So that’s what sentencing guidelines applied.

If it had gone to trial, a jury would’ve probably agreed with you, but it didn’t.

What she said was terrible. Not sure why the shock that she was given a custodial sentence.

Sadly, lots of people lose children. They don’t incite hatred and violence.

It should matter. I've gone from genuinely not giving a toss who got jailed (oops, can't say things like that now) to being very 🤔 about what happened, mainly through reading this thread tbh cos it's not something I've particularly engaged with on other social media platforms. Trumped up charges are a travesty of justice.

Take out the mythology around her case. How terrible is it to say you don't care if something happens? It may not be very nice but surely it's not an imprisonment offence.

I think it is when your husband is involved with local politics.

Women’s prisons aren’t bursting, men’s are. The two things are not related - and many of the people released marginally earlier (prev govt released people after 50% sentence, current govt changed it to 40% and both focus on non-violent crimes) are women.

She incited racial violence, she needs to be punished for breaking the law. Her own personal tragedy is very sad, but not an excuse.

Yes it is. But the judge didn't choose to do it on a whim. They followed Scottish sentencing guidelines. Judges don't arbitrarily choose sentences is the point.

From the judge’s remarks, she was given the minimum sentence, less 25% for pleading guilty, and instructed to serve 40%.

We don’t house illegal migrants.

We house asylum seekers. They are not ‘illegal’.

It is our moral and legal duty to help those fleeing danger.

HTH.