A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of former Cabinet Minister Ann Widdecombe, after armed police raided a mid-terrace property in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, approximately 270 miles from her home in Devon. The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was detained shortly after 9pm on Saturday, July 11, and was escorted to a police van by officers.
Suspect's movements captured on CCTV
Police are examining CCTV footage that appears to show the suspect placing a wooden stick into the rear of a red Vauxhall Corsa, described by witnesses as "filthy" and "moss-covered," on the day of the killing. Forensics teams have been seen removing items from the walls of the property and bringing large bolt-cutters into the house as part of the investigation.
A local resident described the suspect as appearing "calm" while being led away dressed entirely in black. "He had one officer on either side holding an arm each and then they put him in the back of the marked van," the resident said.
Arrest details
Around a dozen armed officers surrounded the house before knocking "very loudly" on the front door shortly before England's World Cup quarter-final against Norway kicked off. The suspect answered the door and was swiftly detained, according to the Mirror. Courtney Foster, 25, who lives next door with his partner Rayed Astle, 26, said: "We were in the kitchen and just saw the officers running up. There were about 12 officers and quite a few cars. Some were armed. They banged on the door very loudly. They didn't smash the door down because he opened it. They asked him his name, he confirmed it and they took him away."
Suspect described as a 'loner'
Locals depicted the long-haired suspect as a "loner" who had become more withdrawn since his father's death in December of the previous year. Foster commented: "He was someone you'd have a conversation with, but that changed after his dad died. He became very quiet. He kept himself to himself and wouldn't really speak to anyone. He was always in the house. I don't think he worked." Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, added: "I was about to watch the football and I could hear a helicopter overhead and my wife shouting 'look what is happening at the front of house'. I saw many undercover police outside. I knew they were not neighbours coming to visit! Then on the back garden I saw two police officers with big guns on the man's neighbours garden."
Timeline of the killing
The former Tory minister, aged 78, was bludgeoned to death in her £600,000 bungalow just half an hour before she was due to appear via video link on Channel 5's Matt Allwright show. She last messaged a producer at 12:19pm but failed to respond to a text at 12:48pm. Her body remained undiscovered for nearly 24 hours before being found in the kitchen of her home in Haytor, Devon, at 11:40am on Thursday.
Police investigation
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, overseeing the operation, confirmed at a press conference in Exeter that there is currently no indication the killing was politically motivated or linked to terrorism. He disclosed the suspect is a white British man and confirmed investigators are not looking for anyone else. Officers have received over 120 pieces of information from the public. ACC Longman said: "We remain open-minded about the motive, but are aware of online and public speculation. Again I urge people not to share or engage with that speculation. It is unhelpful, it doesn't aid our investigation and particularly it is distressing to the family and friends of Ms Widdecombe. We understand that there is a huge appetite for information, but progressing and protecting the integrity of our investigation is paramount now."
