- Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her kitchen on the morning of 9 July after she failed to attend a pre-arranged online interview. Her gardener discovered her, and emergency services declared her dead shortly after.
- Joshua Kerry was arrested at his home in Rotherham on 11 July after being linked to a red Vauxhall Corsa seen near Widdecombe's bungalow. The case was later taken over by counter-terrorism officers.
- During a court hearing, Kerry appeared charged with murder, and the court was told that he hit Ann Widdecombe on the head with a hammer 21 times, leading to a provisional cause of death of blunt force trauma to the head.
- Kerry appeared in Westminster magistrates court, where he only confirmed his personal details, and was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey.
Joshua Kerry, 28, faces a murder charge in the death of former MP Ann Widdecombe, 78, who was found dead in her kitchen on July 9. Prosecutor Khasif Malik revealed that she suffered 21 hammer strikes to the head, with the cause of death determined as blunt force trauma.123
Widdecombe's death was discovered after she missed a scheduled online interview for Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show. Her gardener found her body, and emergency services pronounced her dead shortly thereafter. Kerry was arrested on July 11 at his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, after being linked to a red Vauxhall Corsa seen near her bungalow before her death.45
The investigation has since escalated, with counter-terrorism officers taking over the case. Authorities are probing whether there was any political or terrorism motivation behind the murder. During a brief court appearance, Kerry confirmed his identity but did not enter a plea. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody, with a subsequent appearance scheduled at the Old Bailey.89
“The investigation into whether there was an alleged political or terrorism motivation for Widdecombe’s death is continuing,” the prosecutor stated, highlighting the ongoing complexities surrounding the case.
“Joshua Kerry, 28, is accused of hitting the 78-year-old former MP Ann Widdecombe 21 times with a hammer at her home in Haytor, Devon. Her body was discovered by her gardener on 9 July after she missed an online interview; the case has been taken over by counter-terrorism police investigating a possible political motive.”
The Guardian
