Man charged with murder of former MP Ann Widdecombe after hammer attack
Joshua Kerry has been charged with murdering former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who died after being struck with a hammer at her Devon home on July 8.
A 28-year-old man from Rotherham, Joshua Kerry, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and was charged with the murder of former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe. Prosecutors said Kerry arrived at Widdecombe's Devon residence on July 8 in a red Vauxhall Corsa, entered through the front door wearing black gloves, and within two minutes struck her on the head with a hammer 21 times, knocked her from her chair, and stole her wallet before fleeing.
The gardener, who was sent to check on Widdecombe after she missed a scheduled online interview, found her lying face down on the kitchen floor on July 9. Emergency services were called, and she was pronounced dead at 12:20 that day. A pathologist identified blunt-force head injury as the provisional cause of death, though the precise medical cause has not yet been confirmed.
"Security camera footage from her home in Haytor showed she had been fatally attacked the day before," prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court.
Police are continuing to investigate whether the attack had any terrorism or political motive. Kerry entered a plea of not guilty and was remanded in custody pending a later appearance at the Old Bailey.