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Wife of Ex-Tory Councillor Set for August Release After Hate Speech Sentence

Her impending release under licence reignites debate over how online hate speech is policed

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Overview

  • She is due to be released from HMP Peterborough in August after serving 40% of her 31-month sentence under licence conditions.
  • Connolly was sentenced in October by Birmingham Crown Court for a tweet calling for mass deportations and arson at hotels housing migrants, posted on the day three girls were murdered at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
  • Her appeal in May at the Court of Appeal was rejected, with judges ruling the original sentence was neither manifestly excessive nor disproportionate.
  • Critics including Suella Braverman and Liz Truss have condemned the jail term as politicised and unfair, and Reform UK figures have backed her campaign for early release.
  • The case attracted international scrutiny when the White House said it was monitoring proceedings amid broader concerns about free speech protections in Britain.