Police have charged a 28-year-old man with the killing of former MP and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe, a development that sharpens questions about motive and security around public figures. The suspect appeared in court after prosecutors said the politician suffered multiple fatal blows to the head during an attack at her Devon home earlier this month.
Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham, made a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he was formally charged with murder. He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey later the same day.
What prosecutors say happened
Prosecutors outlined a timeline that began when Ms Widdecombe failed to join a scheduled live interview on 8 July for Channel 5’s consumer programme. Staff tried to reach her through her assistant and, concerned, the assistant asked a gardener to check on her the next day.
That gardener found the 78-year-old former minister lying on her kitchen floor on 9 July with a serious head injury. A provisional medical opinion attributes the death to a blunt force head injury.
Court statements say the man allegedly stopped outside Ms Widdecombe’s bungalow in a red Vauxhall Corsa, entered the property and attacked her while she was having lunch, before leaving with a wallet taken from her handbag. The brief encounter was described by prosecutors as lasting around two minutes.
- Date of death found: 9 July — body discovered at Haytor, Dartmoor, Devon.
- Arrest: 11 July — suspect detained on suspicion of murder.
- Charge: Murder — accused of delivering 21 blows to the head with a hammer, according to court evidence.
- Other enquiries: Suspect was previously arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences but no charges were brought for that matter.
Investigation and security questions
Police counter-terrorism units are involved and say they continue to examine whether the attack had any political or ideological motive. Authorities have not confirmed such a motive and stress inquiries remain ongoing.
Detectives have described the assault as extremely violent. The involvement of specialist investigators reflects both the profile of the victim and the nature of the allegations.
The charged suspect appeared in court wearing a grey tracksuit and gave only basic identification details. He will next face a hearing at the central criminal court.
Widdecombe’s public life
Ann Widdecombe was first elected to Parliament in 1987 and served as a Conservative minister in the 1990s, including a spell as prisons minister. After leaving the Commons she served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party and, most recently, acted as Reform UK’s spokeswoman on immigration and justice.
Outside politics she reached a broader audience through appearances on television programmes, including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.
As the criminal process continues, investigators and prosecutors say they will disclose further details when appropriate. For now, the case has prompted renewed scrutiny of the safety of public figures and the resources devoted to probing possible politically motivated violence.
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