The founder of free speech organisation FairCop has condemned the imprisonment of Lucy Connolly as a calculated move to suppress conservative viewpoints on immigration.
Harry Miller, a former police officer who established the campaign group, expressed deep distress over Connolly's treatment following her release from custody. "It's absolutely heartbreaking," he told GB News.
Mr Miller contended that Ms Connolly's emotional response to the Southport murders represented a natural human reaction. He noted that people often express anger in various settings when confronted with such tragedies.
The FairCop founder emphasised that Ms Connolly had reconsidered her social media post after walking her dogs and removed the content. He argued this demonstrated reflection and should have prevented legal action.
Harry Miller reacted to Lucy Connolly's 'heartbreaking' comments
|GB NEWS / THE TELEGRAPH
Mr Miller highlighted that Ms Connolly's actions should have exempted her from prosecution according to established Crown Prosecution Service protocols.
He pointed out that during Sir Keir Starmer's tenure as CPS director, official guidance stipulated that individuals who reconsider and remove online content should avoid prosecution.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
- Lucy Connolly set to SUE police as she prepares to meet Trump administration
- Home Office fights back as Labour launches appeal to overturn landmark Epping migrant hotel ruling
- Travellers 'break locks' to illegally invade scenic park as more than 10 caravans park up
"She was a prime example of someone who should not be prosecuted," Mr Miller stated during his GB News appearance. He stressed that Ms Connolly's decision to delete her post after reflection aligned precisely with the CPS framework for avoiding legal proceedings.
The free speech advocate argued that the three-hour window before removal, during which the post garnered significant views, should not have overridden the fact that Ms Connolly had demonstrated the exact behaviour the guidelines were designed to recognise.
Lucy Connolly was jailed for a social media post | XMr Miller asserted that Ms Connolly faced prosecution solely to send a warning to conservatives opposing illegal immigration and concerned about children's safety.
"She was prosecuted for one reason only. It was to make a point in order to make people on the right who were against unlawful immigration and who were in favour of young children not being killed by radical lunatics to make a chilling effect on their speech," he declared.
The FairCop founder maintained that the legal action served no purpose beyond intimidation. "That was what it was for, no other reason," he emphasised.
During the GB News discussion, presenter Alex Armstrong noted that government officials would dispute this characterisation of the prosecution's motives.
Harry Miller spoke to Alex Armstrong on GB News
|GB NEWS
Ms Connolly herself has echoed these concerns about political targeting following her release from prison. In her first interview with The Telegraph, she directly accused the Prime Minister of treating her as a political detainee.
"Absolutely. Me and several other people," Ms Connolly responded when asked if she considered herself "Sir Keir Starmer's political prisoner". She emphasised that multiple individuals faced similar circumstances.
The Northampton childminder argued that the Prime Minister should examine the meaning of free speech and human rights given his background as a human rights lawyer.
She characterised his August 2024 speech following the Southport murders as "very divisive", claiming it suggested that those concerned about murdered children were automatically labelled as far-right extremists.
Ms Connolly maintained that expressing distress over children's deaths was a legitimate response that authorities should not criminalise.
More From GB News