What next for social media 'martyr' Lucy Connolly?

Lucy Connolly is out of jail. She was one of about 1,800 people arrested during riots last summer in the wake of the Southport murders.

- SEAN O'GRADY

Connolly, from Northampton, was convicted and jailed for publishing “threatening or abusive” material on social media, including an incitement to “set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care”.

Hers is one of the more high-profile cases, and some activists have taken up her cause, claiming she has been a victim of “two tier” policing, harsh sentencing and restricted free speech.

Her sentence was 31 months, and a bid to reduce it was rejected by the Court of Appeal in May. Under current early release rules, having served 40 per cent, she is allowed out on licence for the remainder of her sentence.

What did Connolly do wrong?

Her supporters mostly concede that what she said was wrong, but many also minimise it as mere “hurty words” for which nobody should be given a custodial sentence. There is also the suspicion in some quarters that the punishment was heavier because of political pressure; the prime minister said at the time that the full force of the law should be brought down on offenders.

But Connolly’s case was carefully examined at Birmingham Crown Court and the Court of Appeal. The facts were not in dispute, she pleaded guilty, and the judges have considered the context and acted within the guidelines approved by ministers.

What did she post on social media?