Lucy Connolly appeal Rejected

Wyllow3

It will be an Ofstead/Childcare UK matter to decide if she wishes to re-register. Its not an automatic disqualification with a criminal record, its passing the DBS checks re children and vulnerable adults.

It's quite complicated. You can't pass/fail DBS checks. A prison sentence will appear on an enhanced DBS check for life. As you say, it will be up to Ofsted whether they allow her to re-register. It's possible they might allow it, although she would have to do diversity training. However, she would still need to show her certificate to anybody who wants to employ her and the certificate will have the conviction on.

In 2021 in her husband's register of interests to be a councillor, she was recorded as a complaint handler for Barclays Bank (as well as a childminder), so she has another possibility for employment.

OldFrill

I think she'll feature on topical TV programmes and other media and get paid work supporting freedom of speech organisations.

Good point!

But she's been saying - and the publicity and request for funding to restore her family life is all based on - how important it is to get back to quiet family life for the benefit of her girl settling.

How would being in the public eye help? the opposite?

And all her tweets would come out again - saying she'd lie to Ofstead, and the tweet made 4 days before Southport

"1. On 25 July, four days before the Southport murders, the applicant posted on X the following response to a video which had been shared online by Tommy Robinson, showing a black male being tackled to the ground for allegedly masturbating in public: 
“Somalian, I guess. Loads of them” 
That message was followed by a vomiting emoji.

(quote from court case)

So who would employ her on free speech, unless you think it's OK to be racist and violent?

I agree with you Wyllow. She's either being manipulated or not being honest with herself. Somebody contacted the media, which is why this particular case is in the spotlight. She could have just kept her head down and refused to engage.

Her own tweets show that she has little contrition - on the contrary. I might be a little more sympathetic if she'd stated that she has concerns about immigration (as many people do quite legitimately), was misled by the misinformation which was circulating at the time, was upset about the murders and posted in the spur of the moment without thinking.

However, that wasn't her defence. She repeated her right to post what she did, wrote that she didn't care if people thought she's racist and suggested she'd "play the mental health card" as an excuse.

If she really wants a quiet life after she's released, she has to keep quiet or say something like "Sorry, I got it wrong".

What really I hope now is that she does decide to chose a more quiet family life and support for it, not being chewed up by a very unforgiving media or being used for political ends.

Wyllow3

What really I hope now is that she does decide to chose a more quiet family life and support for it, not being chewed up by a very unforgiving media or being used for political ends.

I posted something similar several pages ago before being misinterpreted and castigated.
It seems if one believes that sentencing can be arbitrary, that is wrong and one is placed in a pro-Connolly camp when that is definitely not the case.

I said:
Perhaps the mother you are referring to may re-address her views now she has time to reflect
Referring to Lucy Connolly.

Democracy 3.0 have raised £140k+ to help the Connelly family. I don't think they will expect her to leave prison quietly.
I can't imagine Lucy is going to sit at home reflecting on how badly she feels she's been treated and just get in with a life
She has a huge amount of support regarding the supposed excessive sentencing.
It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health. She has, and will continue to, garner support.

OldFrill

Democracy 3.0 have raised £140k+ to help the Connelly family. I don't think they will expect her to leave prison quietly.
I can't imagine Lucy is going to sit at home reflecting on how badly she feels she's been treated and just get in with a life
She has a huge amount of support regarding the supposed excessive sentencing.
It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health. She has, and will continue to, garner support.

The sentencing followed legal guidelines.

Allira

Wyllow3

What really I hope now is that she does decide to chose a more quiet family life and support for it, not being chewed up by a very unforgiving media or being used for political ends.

I posted something similar several pages ago before being misinterpreted and castigated.
It seems if one believes that sentencing can be arbitrary, that is wrong and one is placed in a pro-Connolly camp when that is definitely not the case.

I said:
Perhaps the mother you are referring to may re-address her views now she has time to reflect
Referring to Lucy Connolly.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by arbitrary sentencing.

Her sentence followed national guidelines, which exist to provide consistency.

growstuff

OldFrill

Democracy 3.0 have raised £140k+ to help the Connelly family. I don't think they will expect her to leave prison quietly.
I can't imagine Lucy is going to sit at home reflecting on how badly she feels she's been treated and just get in with a life
She has a huge amount of support regarding the supposed excessive sentencing.
It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health. She has, and will continue to, garner support.

The sentencing followed legal guidelines.

Where have l said it didn't?

Growstuff she will not need to show her DBS certificate to an employer as they will ask for her details so that they can apply for an enhanced DBS that is indate. Furthermore different organisations require separate DBS’s. For example if you are a teacher your DBS will not apply if you are a football coach and you will need an FA one.

I think it is likely that even if she manages to get reregistered as a childminder she may find it difficult to get clients anyway. Whether her punishments is appropriate or not she behaved in a rash and stupid manner even if in a fit of temper. I would probably have released her early but I don’t think I’d want her childminding any of mine for that reason, DBS or no DBS.

Well OldFrill it seems from your post there are a set of expectations on money given

You say "It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health"

What really matters is not is "expected" of her, but what is actually best for her and daughter and husband.

Keeping on engaging with the media has its real risks - will it make her MH better? Will it help her daughter to be in the spotlight as she goes to school?

Will it help family and friend relationships or will it risk notoriety?

Hang on a minute, am I losing it here? Somebody who at a time of heightened emotion urged people to burn down accomodation with people inside will be a media star?

What on earth?

Oreo

Not only yours Doodledog and mine aren’t a witch hunt as I have never said anything bad about Lucy Connolly.I think she has been treated over harshly with the conviction and it’s very low to then go on to say things about her childminding.
As you can guess I’m very against a lot of prison sentences and the government are now being forced to come round to that way of thinking too.

Oreo - I’m not looking to disagree with you but - I disagree that this govt is being forced to share your view that we send far too many people to,prison. The appointment if Edward Timpson suggests the govt recognises the long standing need to develop constructive, effective alternatives to prison
The probation service was set up to advise, assist and befriend. The aim was to reduce recidivism.
Anyway I expect you know all of this.

25Avalon

Growstuff she will not need to show her DBS certificate to an employer as they will ask for her details so that they can apply for an enhanced DBS that is indate. Furthermore different organisations require separate DBS’s. For example if you are a teacher your DBS will not apply if you are a football coach and you will need an FA one.

I think it is likely that even if she manages to get reregistered as a childminder she may find it difficult to get clients anyway. Whether her punishments is appropriate or not she behaved in a rash and stupid manner even if in a fit of temper. I would probably have released her early but I don’t think I’d want her childminding any of mine for that reason, DBS or no DBS.

I'm not disagreeing with you Avalon. She would need an enhanced DBS to be a childminder and it is possible these days to use the same one for different "employers", especially if you're self-employed. I worked as a self-employed tutor and that's what I did. I can't remember whether I paid a bit extra to have it extended or whether I just had to apply. It's up to the employer whether they want a new one - none of my tutees (or their parents) ever did.

Not all jobs need enhanced DBS certificates. The rules are different for standard DBSs and I think (but not sure) that standard ones allow for some filtering of old convictions. Convictions are usually "spent" anyway after 11 years (but not for prison sentences on enhanced certificates).

I once worked in a school where we regularly employed a supply teacher who had a very old conviction for drink driving. He was given a short suspended sentence, which remained on his DBS for life. Maybe not surprisingly, he had always found it difficult to get a permanent teaching job, but he was a good supply teacher and the school decided that he was a reformed character and the conviction didn't affect his ability in the classroom.

lafergar

Hang on a minute, am I losing it here? Somebody who at a time of heightened emotion urged people to burn down accomodation with people inside will be a media star?

What on earth?

Do calm down.
I would be surprised if she doesn't feature in the media when she's free. Noone has said she'll be a "media star" she could be an almighty flop.

Wyllow3

Well OldFrill it seems from your post there are a set of expectations on money given

You say "It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health"

What really matters is not is "expected" of her, but what is actually best for her and daughter and husband.

Keeping on engaging with the media has its real risks - will it make her MH better? Will it help her daughter to be in the spotlight as she goes to school?

Will it help family and friend relationships or will it risk notoriety?

I think she might stand for Reform.

OldFrill

Wyllow3

Well OldFrill it seems from your post there are a set of expectations on money given

You say "It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health"

What really matters is not is "expected" of her, but what is actually best for her and daughter and husband.

Keeping on engaging with the media has its real risks - will it make her MH better? Will it help her daughter to be in the spotlight as she goes to school?

Will it help family and friend relationships or will it risk notoriety?

I think she might stand for Reform.

She'd certainly fit in well.

growstuff

OldFrill

Wyllow3

Well OldFrill it seems from your post there are a set of expectations on money given

You say "It won't be about the tweets, it will be about the sentence, how aggrieved she is, the affect in her family, her mental health"

What really matters is not is "expected" of her, but what is actually best for her and daughter and husband.

Keeping on engaging with the media has its real risks - will it make her MH better? Will it help her daughter to be in the spotlight as she goes to school?

Will it help family and friend relationships or will it risk notoriety?

I think she might stand for Reform.

She'd certainly fit in well.

Says it all, really.

I thought the Reform suggestion tongue in cheek and 😂.

(Impossible with a criminal record not to mention her following Tommy Robinson, anathema for Farage...)

Seems to me she has a lot to process, and might benefit from counselling which doesn't have any agenda unlike some of the people around her.

Wyllow3

I thought the Reform suggestion tongue in cheek and 😂.

(Impossible with a criminal record not to mention her following Tommy Robinson, anathema for Farage...)

Seems to me she has a lot to process, and might benefit from counselling which doesn't have any agenda unlike some of the people around her.

Does having a criminal record stop her from standing for election?

Yes, I looked it up, a recent criminal record does.

"No, someone with a recent criminal record, particularly a conviction leading to a prison sentence of three months or more, cannot be a councillor in England and Wales. A conviction within the past five years is the determining factor"

"A prison sentence of more than 12 months automatically disqualifies someone from being an MP, and they lose their seat if they are convicted of such an offense"

Yup don't think you can stand if you've had a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. I'm still amazed that people don't realise how serious her crime is and why she got the sentence she did. She contibuted to causing serious public disorder which caused criminal damage to property by arson and injuries to police. She was very lucky that no one died.

Wyllow3

Yes, I looked it up, a recent criminal record does.

"No, someone with a recent criminal record, particularly a conviction leading to a prison sentence of three months or more, cannot be a councillor in England and Wales. A conviction within the past five years is the determining factor"

"A prison sentence of more than 12 months automatically disqualifies someone from being an MP, and they lose their seat if they are convicted of such an offense"

Yes, that's for a councillor. If she was standing for Reform it would be an MP.
"The rules about becoming an MP are less restrictive to those that apply to standing for election as a local councillor.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1981, you are disqualified from becoming a member of the House of Commons if you have been found guilty of an offence and sentenced to more than one year in prison, and are currently detained as a result of that offence.

Once you are released from prison, you are not prevented from standing for election as an MP.

Technically, you are also able to stand for election while you are in prison, so long as the sentence is one year or less."

Sorry forgotten the source - think it's "unlocked.org

True.... but unlikely once her tweet record is exposed. Saying she would lie to Ofstead might be a wee problem as well as posting recent very racist material since Reform have removed people for same as they want "clean" candidates.