A 28-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of former government minister Ann Widdecombe.
Joshua Kerry, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning accused of attacking the ex-Tory MP turned Reform spokesperson at her home in Devon. Ms Widdecombe, 78, was killed in her remote bungalow on the edge of Dartmoor National Park 14 days ago and was found with head injuries.
Armed officers arrested Kerry three days later at his house on suspicion of murder on July 11.
Killed before TV appearance
Ms Widdecombe was killed in her house on July 8, 30 minutes before she was set to appear via video call on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show. She had last messaged a producer at 12.19pm but failed to respond to a text at 12.48pm.
Kerry is understood to have been unemployed since working as an office administrator up until two years ago.
Inquest suspended
Ms Widdecombe's cause of death is yet to be established, the opening of an inquest into her death at Exeter Coroner's Court heard today. Philip Spinney, senior coroner for the county of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, said she was found unresponsive in her home by an employee carrying out a welfare check after concerns were raised due to her being “uncontactable”.
Mr Spinney said: “A post-mortem examination has taken place and at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established. Shortly after the conclusion of this hearing I shall be taking steps to formally suspend this inquest… Until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.”
Tributes and safety review
Ms Widdecombe was first elected a Conservative MP in Kent in 1987, then served as an MEP for the Brexit Party and spokeswoman for Reform UK. She also starred in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called for a serious review of MPs' safety after Ms Widdecombe's death.
Paying tribute to Ms Widdecombe, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Ann Widdecombe dedicated her life to politics and public service. For nearly 40 years, she was a fixture of our political life. She brought conviction to our politics, grounded in her profound Catholic faith. She was forthright in her opinions and argued courageously for the things she believed in. But, perhaps most of all, she brought an inimitable style to politics."
