Joshua Kerry, 28, has appeared in court charged with the murder of former MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe. The 78-year-old former Conservative minister was allegedly killed at her home in Haytor, Devon, earlier this month, with the court hearing that she was struck on the head with a hammer 21 times.
Court Proceedings
During a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon, Kerry, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address. The court was told that security camera footage from the property indicated Widdecombe was fatally attacked on 8 July.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik stated that Kerry is alleged to have entered Widdecombe's bungalow through the front door while she was eating lunch, after driving from his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Malik claimed Kerry was in the house for about two minutes before driving off, having allegedly taken Widdecombe's wallet from her handbag.
Discovery of the Body
The alarm was raised after Widdecombe failed to attend a pre-arranged online interview for Channel 5's Matt Allwright show, shortly before 1pm on 8 July. Producers from the show reportedly tried to contact Widdecombe and her personal assistant several times. She was found lying face down on her kitchen floor by her gardener on the morning of 9 July and was declared dead by emergency services shortly afterwards. Malik said a provisional cause of death was given by a pathologist as blunt force trauma to the head.
Arrest and Investigation
Kerry was arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July by officers from Devon and Cornwall Police after he was linked to a red Vauxhall Corsa car seen outside Widdecombe's bungalow shortly before her death. The case was later taken over by counter-terrorism officers, and Kerry was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism. The investigation into whether there was an alleged political or terrorism motivation for Widdecombe's death is continuing.
Further Court Appearance
Later on Tuesday, Kerry appeared at the Old Bailey before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, where he was denied bail and remanded in custody. A case management hearing was scheduled for 9 October, with a provisional trial date set for 8 June 2027.
Inquest
On Tuesday morning, an inquest opened in Exeter into Widdecombe's death. Philip Spinney, the senior coroner for the county of Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay, confirmed the time and date of the former MP's death and read a short statement before suspending the inquest until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings. He said: "The circumstances of the death are as follows: concerns were raised that Miss Widdecombe was uncontactable. So, an employee who was due at the home address was asked to conduct a welfare check. Miss Widdecombe was located within her property. She was found to be unresponsive, and with visible injuries. The emergency services were called, and she was sadly declared deceased at the scene. A postmortem examination has taken place, and at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established."
Spinney paid tribute to Widdecombe, who was the Conservative MP for the seat of Maidstone and the Weald, previously Maidstone, between 1987 and 2010. In 2019, she defected to the Brexit Party to serve as an MEP; latterly, she was an immigration and justice spokesperson for its successor party, Reform UK. "It is plain that Miss Widdecombe was much loved and will be greatly missed, and it's important that we all understand the impact the loss of life has had on those who mourn," Spinney said. "A court could appear a harsh and clinical setting for what is an intensely private matter, the death of a loved one. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Miss Widdecombe."
