2024 was the year that I finally realised just how messed up that our Justice system really is.
The summer riots, grooming gangs, and even high-profile paedophile cases will have shocked and confused many looking in from abroad.
Let's go back to late July 2024. A horrific terrorist attack on a kids' dance class ended with multiple serious injuries and three dead children, something that both upset me terribly and stirred up anger inside me that I haven't had for many years.
As a father of two young daughters, this horrific crime led to unthinkable thoughts in my head, what if this happened to one of my beautiful babies? What is happening in this country? How could someone do this to innocent children? It has haunted me for days. I was actually on holiday with my family in Mallorca at the time.
As usual, I was still posting on X - it is my therapy as it allows me to get all these thoughts out, but I had to be careful.
Riots were gripping many parts of the country, Keir Starmer had seemingly lost control of the streets, and the anger about this terrorist monster Axel Rudekabana, was at a fever pitch, but not all that was going on social media was accurate or even remotely true in some cases. The authorities were struggling to control the streets, so they came hard at the social media brigade, some were about to face years in jail.
One of these was Lucy Connelly, the wife of a Conservative councillor. She had lost her head one day and out of character, wrote: '' MASS DEPORTATIONS NOW'' ... ''SET FIRE TO ALL THE HOTELS FULL OF THEM FOR ALL I CARE''.... IF THAT MAKES ME RACIST, SO BE IT '' ...she deleted these posts on X a few hours later.
Connolly was arrested a few days later and in September, she pleaded guilty to stirring up racial hatred. She was subsequently jailed for two years and seven months.
Given that she had no previous convictions, this was an unbelievable sentence for this 'crime', and it was extremely severe in my opinion, especially when last year a number of machete-wielding thugs who had waved these weapons at members of the public were given suspended sentences, I reference the case of Gabriel Abdullah, who threatened a Jewish supermarket with a large knife and shouted pro-Gaza rhetoric in what was clearly an antisemitic crime. He was let off with a suspended sentence.
The case of Lucy Connolly sums up everything that's gone wrong with our justice system - Adam Brooks
Getty Images/GB News
You tell me who is the biggest danger to society - Abdullah or Connelly. If you think that it is Lucy, go get a mental health check right now - you're clearly losing it.
Now, I know what those who will defend anything and everything will say, they will say that this was a time of extreme tension and because there were riots, the authorities needed to make an example of people like Lucy.. but that's where their argument falls, as we now have a clear comparison to go by, a clear example of two-tier justice and a clear example of the absurdity and warped sentencing from our justice system.
I present to you the case of Ibrahim Mir, a 21-year-old man, who decided to balaclava up and run around the streets of Hanley with missiles like bricks in his hands, he was part of a counter-protest mob allegedly there to defend their streets from what the media has described as 'far right' rioters.
Ibrahim also had no previous convictions, but he was caught on CCTV with a brick in his hand, whilst running around in a balaclava in a threatening manner. He later pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
So, surely anyone with any common sense in their head reading this, will think back to Connolly's sentence and believe that if she has been sentenced to 31 months in prison, this guy will almost inevitably see the inside of a prison cell. Well, that is not the case, Ibrahim received a suspended sentence. Work that one out?
If the argument for Connelly's harsh sentencing was down to it being a riot situation, why was this man not jailed? Again, who is more of a danger to society: a violent man who runs around the streets with his face covered up or a woman who wrote some pretty disgusting things on the internet for a few hours?
I'll let you make your mind up for the reasons that these two 'criminals' were treated no differently for their crimes, but one thing cannot be made clearer: prison is there to protect us from some of society's biggest threats, to keep violent and dangerous people off our streets, away from our women and children, it is not there to house misguided, maybe idiotic women who type things that we feel are wrong on the internet.
Something has gone badly wrong with our British justice system, and I fear that things are only going to get worse. As someone who is now part of the media fraternity and someone who does not care one iota what people think of me, I'm now made to feel 'worried' about getting arrested for expressing an opinion online, but I think that is exactly the reason they have done this with Connelly.
I clearly do not condone her X posts, but she should never have gone to prison for them, she is a political prisoner, and she should be released right away.
This country has become too authoritarian for me under Starmer, yet somehow, it allows paedos and machete-wielding thugs free to roam our streets. Some might suggest that they are encouraging violence in doing this and I would wholeheartedly agree.
