Man charged with murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe in hammer attack

Man charged with murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe in hammer attack

A man from South Yorkshire has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and MEP, following a violent attack at her home in Devon. Joshua Kerry, 28, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, facing allegations that he killed the politician by hitting her on the head 21 times with a hammer.

The court heard that the attack occurred on 8 July. Prosecutors, led by Kashif Malik, stated that Kerry arrived at Widdecombe's house in Haytor on Dartmoor in a red Vauxhall Corsa. According to the prosecution, Kerry entered through the front door wearing black gloves and attacked Widdecombe while she was eating lunch.

The attack was brief. Prosecutors told the court Kerry was allegedly in the property for only two minutes. After hitting Widdecombe repeatedly on the top of her head, he allegedly tipped her from her chair and stole a wallet from her handbag before driving away.

Widdecombe's death was discovered after she missed a scheduled online interview with Channel 5's Matt Allwright show, which was set for just before 13:00 BST on 8 July. When the production team could not reach her, they contacted her personal assistant, who requested that the family gardener check on her. On 9 July, the gardener entered through an open front door and found Widdecombe lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury.

Emergency services were called on 9 July, and Widdecombe was pronounced dead at 12:20. While a pathologist provided a provisional cause of death as a blunt force injury to the head, a separate inquest hearing on Tuesday noted that the precise medical cause of death had not yet been established.

Kerry, who resides on Byrley Road in Rotherham, was arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July. He was also arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism, though he has not been charged with that specific offense. Detectives from a counter-terrorism unit led the investigation, and police are continuing to investigate whether the attack had a political motivation or a terrorism connection.

During his initial appearance, a bearded Kerry wore a grey tracksuit and appeared emotionless, speaking only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address. He did not indicate a plea.

Following the magistrates' hearing, Kerry appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday and was remanded in custody.

Ann Widdecombe was a prominent figure in British politics, serving as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years starting in 1987. During the 1990s, she held ministerial roles in the government of Sir John Major, including serving as prisons minister. She later became an MEP for the Brexit Party representing South West England. Most recently, she served as a party spokeswoman on justice and immigration for Reform UK.

Kerry is scheduled to appear again at the Old Bailey on 9 October for a case management hearing.