On the day of the Southport attacks last year, the wife of a Conservative councilor who was imprisoned for an online tirade "never" meant to incite violence, the Court of Appeal heard.

On July 29, Lucy Connolly, a resident of Northampton, called for mass deportation immediately and encouraged her supporters to burn hotels that house asylum seekers.

She is contesting the two-year, seven-month sentence she received for her admission of inciting racial hate.

In London, supporters protested outside the Appeal Court. The statement was made in response to the countrywide uproar caused by the stabbing deaths of three girls at a Southport vacation club on the same day.

Connolly told the Appeal Court during her testimony from HMP Drake Hall in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, that she was deeply saddened and angry that those children had passed away and that she understood the parents' feelings.

Connolly's son passed away tragically around 14 years ago, and the court heard that the news of the killings in Southport had rekindled the worry she had been experiencing at the time of her son's death.

Adam King, speaking on Connolly's behalf, questioned if she had planned for anyone to kill any politicians or burn asylum hotels. "Absolutely not," she responded at this point. Connolly added that she calmed herself and that she knew it wasn't appropriate to say that in response to a question about why she had removed the post three and a half hours after it was published.

Connolly said that she did not comprehend that by entering a guilty plea; she was acknowledging that she meant to instigate violence during conversations with her attorney at the crown court. She claimed that there had never been any violence when she posted the tweet and that she never intended to incite any.

The judges of the Appeal Court promised to provide a written ruling as soon as possible after Thursday's session.