Yesterday, as many will have been shocked to learn, a woman was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a tweet. Lucy Connolly, 41, is a mother with no criminal record and has had mental health issues in the past. She also happens to be the wife of a West Northamptonshire Conservative councillor, Raymond Connolly. Already being held on remand, she was sentenced by Judge Melbourne Inman KC at Birmingham Crown Court after pleading guilty last month to distributing material with the intention of stirring up racial hatred.
On the evening of the vicious Southport attack, July 29th, Mrs Connolly had tweeted the following:
Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care, while you’re at it take the treacherous government and politicians with them. I feel physically sick knowing what these families will now have to endure. If that makes me racist so be it
An ugly comment, to be sure, but the thought that someone would be going to prison for it, let alone for nearly three years, will be disquieting to many.
Not least because of the inherent vagueness the section of the 1986 Public Order Act under which she was convicted, in which neither the metaphorical term “stirring up” nor the concept of “racial hatred” is defined. Indeed, Mrs Connolly is going to prison for “stirring up racial hatred” for a tweet which made no mention of race.
The court said the post was “widely read”, viewed
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Is this supposed to be racial hatrid? I see nothing racial in it, it is the interpretation that is racial. She could have made an identical tweet if there were hotels full of white Brits (which there are) but being kept by the state. It actually says nothing about anyone of different race, after all are the hotels full of a single race, I think not? The hatrid is of the criminals being put in hotels at Public expense, with no mention of race. Perhaps the judge was too stupid to understand that. We still do not know what “race” she hates do we? There is a massive assumption in this which she fully understood and completely avoided in her comment. Actually the tweet proves that the legal system itself is racist, against white British women! She was forced to plead to avoid the 2 years or more on remand, and a Jury trial should have come to my conclusion without any doubt, it is the legal system and prisons that are broken. This outcome is entirely political, an unworthy of the UK.
I think this is being looked at from the wrong direction. I agree the recorder might need looking at, as the two sentences were his decision and as, effectively, a trainee judge, he may be looking for approval to be appointed to the circuit.
The bigger question for me is why so many have immediately pleaded guilty, especially in cases where they have been charged with offences that they might not have committed (although there was some wrongdoing). What offers or threats were made by the CPS to persuade the pleas. What influence, whether actual or perceived did the former head of the CPS have in getting the lawyers to get the guilty pleas. Let’s face it, the socialist calling for throat cutting was allowed to plead not guilty. If your former boss went on television demanding you do something, you would think you better do it, especially if he is on good terms with your current boss.
For me, this case persuades me that no former senior civil servants should be allowed to seek elected office and certainly not to be in control of a department which they headed as a civil servant because of the massive conflict of… Read more »
This case (and other recent ones) also raise a wider question.
I am not commenting on this particular judgement as such. However we are told that the courts are “independent” and the judge imposes a sentence based purely on the case before him. We need to know that that is true and that the courts do not take sentencing instructions from the government.
Why do you believe that a judge who gives his own mission statements as (paraphrase)
The strength our society lies in its diversity and inclusivity. Yet, there’s a small minority who – without any real reason – commits violent atrocities against innocent members of the [diverse] majority. It’s my duty to punish these people to deter others from acting in the same way
this referring to a long deleted tweet about illegal immigrants, would need instructions from the government? These illegal immigrants aren’t innocent members of the diverse majority society, they’re people who have consciously broken its laws. At least technically, they’re not but the statement of the judge strongly suggests that – to him – they are. And hence, demands that they be deported en masse are must not be made.
I have absolutely no doubt that Judge Melbourne Inman will be eagerly awaiting a pat on the back from the former DPP and a nomination for some form of New Years honour.
I hope she goes to appeal?
Appeal is difficult when the offense is admitted. She should appeal the sentence.
“An ugly comment, to be sure, but the thought that someone would be going to prison for it, let alone for nearly three years, will be disquieting to many.”
Disquieting?
That has to be a serious contender for ‘understatement of the year’.
This country disgusts me, thats not justice, yes you may feel the comment was crass, but as a mother herself, and myself, I understand her reaction, still lets let the real criminals out, talk about two tier, should be a campaign to get her freed, I’d join.
Knighthood moi?
So another nail in the coffin of free speech. A prison sentence for what you write online about an event at which you were not present! Voltaire will be spinning in his grave. Positively Orwellian. Good luck grandchildren in this brave new world.
The creepy thing here is that Starmer is instructing our so called independent judiciary how to hand out so called justice. The PM is, in my view, leaning towards being a totalitarian communist.
Only leaning? It is the exact position he wants, just like Stalin!
Please see this article by Brandon Smith which really does point to the reason behind all this:
Britain Is Proof: Globalists Plan To Use Migrants As A Mercenary Army Against The West – Alt-Market.us
“My argument was that migrants from the Third World are not merely being used as unwitting tools for cultural saturation of the West. They’re not being shipped in by the millions to simply live off the fruits of our labour and our ancestors’ labours. I believe they are being brought into the US, the UK and Europe as enforcers for the establishment.”
“Think about it – They are essentially bought and paid for. They are mercenaries recruited with offers of easy citizenship, government handouts and the opportunity to brutalize the very western (and generally white) populations they despise. And, they are allowed to do this while hiding behind government law enforcement agencies for protection.”
“British citizens have been victimized for over a decade by migrant attacks and organized crime. The two-tier policing system in the UK continues to protect these migrants from retribution while the government hides statistics that show how much violence is being committed by non-citizens.”
“The post-war British populace has long lived without… Read more »
H, I suspect you are closer to the truth than many will find palatable.
Tens of thousands of like minded people peacefully marching in London on the 26th October will have their say on the matter. The masses will be heard. Even if the MSM refuse to cover it.
There is a Chinese curse which says “May he live in interesting times.” We are certainly living in interesting times.
Personally, I worry for my grandchildren. Only because I’d like them to be able to enjoy the relative ‘freedoms’ and quality of life I have enjoyed since childhood (I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s and I admit I took it all for granted).
There is a chance they will never know what they haven’t had, and so what they have missed out upon. How could they?
I guess, like my grandparents generation, it’ll be up to them to forge whatever world they want to live on. Reap what you sow.
Please do keep us posted on that British Patriots March in London on October 26th. Already the Communist Traitors are organizing a counter-march, backed by the TRADE UNIONS, no less. It is shameful:
“Download the flyer (edit to add local transport details):https://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/wp-content2015/uploads/2024/09/stop-tommy-robinson-26-Oct-A5.pdf
Please do keep us posted about the British Patriots March, because the Trade Unions, led by Ethnic African from Ethiopia Daniel Kebede, have already organized a shameful Communist Counter-march, as you can see here:
Stop Tommy Robinson, stop the far right – Saturday 26 October
“NATIONAL DEMO – Fascist Tommy Robinson and his far right mates are coming to London on Sat 26 Oct to spread racism and Islamophobia. It’s time to stand up and stop them. We’re calling a national demo to unite against far right racism and hate. Be part of it. More info coming soon #StandUpToRacism”
Stop Tommy Robinson on 26th October – model motion for trade unionists
‘They‘ are getting worried about the ‘Tommy Robinson effect’ and similar. And so ‘they‘ should.
Against government oppression we are now completely defenceless. We are trapped in a web of digital slavery and there nothing anyone can do about it. We have agreed and consented and continue so to do every time we use a device.
Another quote (22):
Similarly, whilst I accept you regret your actions and I have been referred
to messages in which you say that you disagree with racism and violence,
it is clear from the evidence of your own words in the days following
your actions, what you said to the police and what you said to the
probation officer that you have little insight into, or acceptance of, your
actions.
As I understand that, it means that Ms Connelly’s belief that she’s innocent is an aggravating factor to her crime. How dare she!
Quote from the Sentencing Remarks (link in Ian Rons’ comment):
It is strength of our society that it is both diverse and inclusive.
To Judge Melbourne Inman, this is apparently a dogma beyond questioning.
Yes, he fails to mention that nobody was ever asked, and nobody ever voted, to make our society diverse and inclusive.
So he is merely expressing his own Leftist political views, which are completely irrelevant to the case.
The whole paragraph is like this. The next thing he brings up is the “small minority” seeking to terrorize the innocent majority with violent actions (remember when this “small minority terrorizing a majority” was called The Unvaccinated?) and how his job as a judge it to punish them to deter others from following in their wake. This just is generic, political waffle.
I’d love to write a point-by-point rebuttal of all of this nauseating blathering but I have neither the time nor the ability to do so.
🙁
Never forgive or forget what these politicians have done to our country.
Well done to Laurie Wastell and the Daily Sceptic for not forgetting these victims of injustice. Here are some great quotes from the public in the DM:
— “We live in a time when the Govt effectively runs an entrapment operation on the public, in order to come down hard on them when they step out of line.”
— “If you didn’t realize that the system is no longer there to help & protect you, perhaps this might be a wake up call to see things have changed.”
— “I have lived through the troubles in N Ireland all my life and have never seen anyone jailed for 2-3 years for rioting. Indeed a week after these riots there were bad riots in Derry with the police standing by benignly.”
— “Jailed for for 20 months at Bristol Crown Court after he joined an anti-immigration march in Bristol on August 3″ WHAT????”
— “How many Romanians were locked up after the Leeds riots?”
— “Lots of fast-track ‘justice’ – meanwhile – in other violent cases – the police are busy consulting with community leaders – to see if jail is an appropriate solution – but be assured – there is no two-tier… Read more »
Words fail me (almost). In the logic of two-tier justice, criminal acts that cause severe physical pain, hospitalization, trauma and mental scarring, are worth 10 months less in prison than a certain arrangement of pixels on a computer screen that you can choose to ignore (just as long as the perpetrators of the former are waving a Palestine flag).
I believe this Labour government has become a national emergency – genuinely.
The Monster Raving Loonies would do a better job.
This certainly communicates that British judges and probably, also the current British goverment, believe that wrongthink materialising itself in form of wrongspeak is a much more serious issue than causing life-threatening injuries to bystanders as part of an unprovoked violent attack of an armed mob on a private property and the people within it.
Someone’s moral compass is seriously f***ed here.
The mistake you make is to assume a moral compass. Morals and the law have become absurdly divergent.
I don’t think that’s a particularly ugly comment, just someone who’s angry speaking in the heat of the moment. It certainly wouldn’t have commanded any particular attention had it been made in a pub. Peope sometimes verbally blow off steam and say things they don’t really mean in this way just because they’re emotionally agitated. This certainly shouldn’t be a punishable offense for as long as it isn’t followed by any action and not directly targetted against anyone.
True, they could use the Brandenburg vs Ohio test.
People like Yasmin-Alibhai-Brown think her imprisonment is just fine, but as mentioned, attacking people in a pub, armed with weapons (actual physical violence) as opposed to naughty words is a prime example of two tier policing. As for the Mary Whitehouse types attacking Mr Edwards, again, this is nothing more than a thought crime and is no like for like comparison.
In a sense yes, I learned about it in a more neutral/positive way reading HereticTOC website by Tom O’Carroll, Chair of the 1970s PIE. He is eloquent in his writing. MRA websites like Angry Harry etc brought the question of child sexuality to my attention.
Apart from that there’s much we agree on. BTW I am not a paedophile, there is a sliding scale with attraction to minors (below the age of consent). You will find many heterosexuals come under that category. You should try and understand rather than throwing News of the World type slurs.
The small children being raped, tortured, tormented and abused were not thoughts, they were real. People who believe that sexual satisfaction obtained by viewing the suffering of innocent children is in any way excusable are a danger to society. I prefer to be a Mary Whitehouse type. Edwards should have been sent down because he and his ilk create demand for this obscenity.
If you believe every pic is a crime scene, then fine, but there are many crimes captured on film and photo. The viewer is just the viewer. This is a civil liberties issue that many are too scared to confront.
Well said. Thank you for standing up for helpless little ones.
You are on the side of the angels.
But when you’re a member of a multi-culturally-enriching rape gang, the police and courts don’t go near you.
Independent judiciary? Who decided to free lags early so as to make room for post-Southport tweeters? It’s almost as if they knew in advance how Judges would sentence those who had been advised to plead guilty.
Wow, I think this says it all. I reckon as long as Starmer’s in charge this is going to be the ‘new norm’. And the dunderhead is still referring to Sunak as ”Prime Minister”! Only 100 odd days in so God knows what the 6 month anniversary is going to look like. I think the guy has zero redeeming features, that’s the word on the street anyway;
”When I was cancelled 4 years ago, there was only one person in public life who called for me to be prosecuted: Sir Keir Starmer. I could have gone to prison. Starmer is a nasty, vengeful man who hates free speech and freedom.”
David Starkey on the Sceptic.
https://x.com/toadmeister/status/1847178333873750246
Very much worth listening to the whole Starkey interview always intelligent, informative and entertaining.
The person who belongs in court should be Kneel. Crimes committed since taking office would ensure he never saw daylight again. He is utterly depraved.
Judge Inman is clearly completely unfit to continue in that role.
This has been building for years since Blair first wiped his arse on the statute book. And as these utterly shocking new rulings show, it’s now a perfectly oiled system to start jailing political opponents or anyone the government doesn’t like.
This corrupt lethally stupid judge belongs in a banana republic.
When the Blob mob is out to get you I think it is a mistake to admit anything or volunteer any information beyond what may be legally required. Have your day in court, with good legal representation. If nothing else it will cost the State more money and expose their shenanigans.
Well said Laurie. We shouldn’t forget this lady as she languishes in jail. Nor the others who’ve been incarcerated for stupid tweets. They are symbols of our lost liberty.
Including Julie Sweeney, formerly sole carer of a sick husband.
Let’s not forget it’s 31 months having plead guilty.
Assuming she’s admitted guilt from the start and cooperated she should’ve received a 30% discount.
So they’re actually saying that a tweet is worth 3.5 years…
She’s a self-declared Conservative/conservative ….. so she deserved “special treatment” in our Two-Tier State.
Another example of how crime pays in the UK
Is Melbourne Inman a real name – or just made up to hide his incompetence?
At first glance I read it as Imam – took a long hard second look to read it as typed….
It’s just one rogue judge.
/sarc
Jail concerned and angry Brits for social media posts and Albanian thugs go free.
We’re living in an anarcho-tyranny.