Ann Widdecombe murder: Man in London court as terror motive probed

London,UPDATED: Jul 21, 2026 20:32 IST

A 28-year-old man appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Tuesday after being charged with the murder of former British politician Ann Widdecombe. Prosecutors told the court that Widdecombe was struck 21 times on the head with a hammer at her home in southwest England.

Joshua Kerry was charged on Monday while in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and acts of terror. Prosecutors said police were continuing to investigate his motive, including a possible political or terrorist link, in a case that has shaken the public and the political establishment.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that Widdecombe was eating lunch when Kerry drove to her house in an isolated village on the edge of Dartmoor Park. He allegedly beat her repeatedly with a hammer and then took her wallet as he left. Blunt force injury to the head was listed as the provisional cause of death.

Widdecombe, 78, is believed to have been attacked on July 8 after she failed to appear that afternoon for a scheduled television interview. She was found dead on July 9 by her gardener. Kerry was arrested on July 11 in South Yorkshire, more than 250 miles from the village of Haytor, where Widdecombe lived.

He was first arrested on suspicion of murder. Prosecutors said that after new evidence was found while he was in custody, he was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Widdecombe had been a prominent political voice and was known for her blunt and socially conservative views, including her opposition to abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. She was a member of the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010 and served as prisons minister in Prime Minister John Major's Conservative government in the 1990s.

After leaving Parliament, she became widely known through appearances on the reality television programmes "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother". She later joined the Brexit Party and briefly served as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she had joined Reform UK and often appeared in the media as the party's immigration and justice spokesperson.

Widdecombe's killing has also revived concerns about the security of politicians, after protection measures were tightened in the past decade following the murders of two MPs. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group. The case against Kerry centres on the fatal attack at Widdecombe's home, the ongoing investigation into his motive and the wider concern it has raised over political safety.

With PTI Inputs

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