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Summary

Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Tory councillor, has pleaded guilty to publishing a social media post stirring up racial hatred against asylum seekers
Connolly, a 41-year-old childminder from Northampton, called for asylum seekers' hotels to be set on fire and wrote: "If that makes me racist, so be it"
She will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on 17 October - the judge said it's "likely to be a substantial custodial sentence"
Speaking outside court, Connolly's husband, Raymond, says: "She knows that she overstepped the mark and there is consequences for it"
Elsewhere, a 12-year-old boy's sentencing for violent disorder has been delayed because his mother is on holiday in Ibiza
And the 15-year-old boy who was the first person to be charged with riot after disorder in Sunderland has had his case sent to the Crown Court

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead

Boy, 15, who stole from Lush and Greggs to be sentencedpublished at 11:16 British Summer Time
Image source, Lis Henderson/BBC
Image caption,
The Lush store and Greggs shop in Hull city centre following violent disorder
As we mentioned earlier, a 15-year-old boy is being sentenced in Hull today after he pleaded guilty to violent disorder and two counts of burglary.
The teenager – who can't be named due to his age – admitted stealing bath products from Lush and food items from Greggs during the riots on 3 August in Hull city centre.
During a previous court hearing, the boy said it was “wrong of me to do that”.
He travelled from his home in North Lincolnshire to meet friends in the city, where the disorder was taking place.
What is violent disorder?published at 11:03 British Summer Time
Image source, Getty Images
Many of those who have been previously sentenced in relation to the unrest have been charged with violent disorder.
It it an offence under section 2 of the Public Order Act 1986, and the sentence can vary from a community order to a maximum of five years in custody depending on the circumstances.
In order for the defendant to be found guilty, the prosecution has to prove that three or more people, present together, use or threaten unlawful violence against a person or property, and that the group's behaviour would cause a reasonable person to fear for their safety.
Tory councillor’s wife to appear in court over racial hatred chargepublished at 10:42 British Summer Time
Image source, x
Lucy Connolly, the wife of a Tory councillor, will appear in court today for a plea hearing after she was charged with publishing written material to stir up racial hatred.
It is alleged that on 29 July – the day of the Southport knife attack – the 41-year-old posted on social media calling for mass deportations and attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers.
"If that makes me racist, so be it," she allegedly wrote.
Connolly – the partner of Conservative West Northamptonshire councillor Raymond Connolly – later apologised and said she regretted making the post.
“Acting on information that I now know to be false and malicious, and in a moment of extreme outrage and emotion, I posted words that I realise were wrong in every way," she said.
Who’s due to be sentenced?published at 10:20 British Summer Time
Image source, Northumbria Police
Image caption,
Leanne Hodgson, Josh Kellett, and Andrew Smith are being sentenced today after pleading guilty to violent disorder in Sunderland
Manchester:
- A 12-year-old boy who has admitted throwing a missile at a police van and taking part in two separate incidents of disorder in Manchester on 31 July and 3 August
- A 16-year-old boy who admitted to throwing an object towards mounted police during disorder in Bolton on 4 August
Hull:
- A 15-year-old boy who admitted stealing food items from Greggs and bath products from Lush in Hull city centre on 3 August
Newcastle-upon-Tyne:
- Josh Kellett, 29, Leanne Hodgson, 43, and Andrew Smith, 41, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder in Sunderland on 2 August
As a reminder, under-18s are not normally named in court reports for legal reasons.
Where did the disorder take place?published at 10:05 British Summer Time
After the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, riots broke out across England, and in Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Crowds attacked mosques and accommodation housing asylum seekers, cars and buildings were set on fire, and shops looted. The Police Federation estimated more than 100 officers were injured.
The disorder was fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment.
Counter-demonstrators responded with a series of rallies, which you can read more about here.
Why did the killing of children in Southport lead to violence?published at 10:01 British Summer Time
Image source, Handout
On 29 July, Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were killed in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance and yoga event. Eight more children and two adults were injured.
Later that day, police said they had arrested a 17-year-old from a village nearby and that they were not treating the incident as terror-related.
Almost immediately after the attack, social media posts falsely speculated that the suspect was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a boat in 2023, with an incorrect name being widely circulated. There were also unfounded rumours that he was Muslim.
In fact, the suspect was born in Wales to Rwandan parents.
The following evening, more than a thousand people attended a vigil for the victims in Southport. Later on, violence broke out in the town and developed into a riot.
The day after, violent protests in London, Hartlepool and Manchester broke out, which police linked to Southport. More then took place throughout the week – with many targeting mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
- You can read more about how the violence spread here
More due in court as riot prosecutions continuepublished at 10:01 British Summer Time
Welcome to our live coverage as more people are due in court over offences related to violent riots which broke out across parts of the country following the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport in July.
The violence in England and Northern Ireland was fuelled by misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment.
Crowds attacked mosques and asylum seekers' accomodation, cars and buildings were set on fire, and shops looted.
Among those being sentenced is a 12-year-old boy who admitted to participating in two separate incidents of disorder in Manchester, and a 15-year-old boy, who admitted to stealing food from Greggs and bath products from Lush in Hull.
Elsewhere, a hearing is taking place for a 15-year-old boy from Sunderland, who was the first person in England to be charged with riot.
We'll be bringing you live updates and analysis here, so stay with us.