FACT CHECK: Was A British Woman Jailed For 30 Months For Posting Hurtful Words On Social Media?

A post shared on Facebook claims a woman received a 30 month jail sentence for posting hurtful words on social media. 

Verdict: False

The post is inaccurate. The woman was jailed for inciting racial hatred.

Fact Check:

A teen is being charged with terrorism after he stabbed three young girls aged 6, 7 and 9 during a Taylor Swift-themed class in Southport, England in July, according to CNN. Among his charges are the production of ricin, a toxin, and three charges of murder, the outlet reported.

A post claims a British woman received a jail sentence for posting hurtful words on social media. The post shared a blurry photo of a woman very close to the camera with brown hair and brown eyes smiling.

“Lucy Connolly, JAILED for 30 MONTHS this afternoon. 30 months away from her kids for a few ‘hurty words’ on social media after 3 baby girls were brutally murdered in #Southport,” the post reads. “The criminal judiciary in Starmer’s Britain is SICK.”

The claim is inaccurate, however. The UK’s Crown Protection Service (CPS) posted a statement reporting that the woman, 41-year-old Lucy Connolly, admitted inciting racial hatred by calling for mass deportation and to set fire to hotels housing immigrants in a X post. (RELATED: Was British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Harassed By Protesters Recently?)

The statement includes a quote from Frank Ferguson, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, which reads, “Using threatening, abusive or insulting language to rile up racism online is unacceptable and is breaking the law.”

A screenshot of Connoly’s post can be seen in an article from the Daily Mail. She is the wife of West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly, who said she made a “stupid, spur of the moment tweet out of frustration and quickly deleted it,” the outlet reported. 

Check Your Fact reached out to a CPS spokesperson for comment. 

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