The uncle of a man held on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe has said he 'nearly fell to the floor' when he heard about the arrest. Armed police swooped on his reclusive 28-year-old nephew at his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on Saturday evening.
Uncle's Reaction to Arrest
The relative, aged 73, who lives close to his nephew but has not been named, told the BBC: 'My legs went like jelly. He's the last person I would think would do anything like that.' He described his nephew as a 'quiet and unassuming boy' who was 'gentle and polite' and 'everything that a shy, young boy would be.' The uncle said he had not seen him for about 10 years and that the suspect had been living with his father until his death a few months ago.
Details of the Attack
Former Tory minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe, 78, is believed to have been attacked at her bungalow in the village of Haytor Vale on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon, on Wednesday last week. Her body was discovered a day later, and she had sustained serious injuries, police said. Counter-terrorism police stated on Tuesday that they believe she was killed in a 'targeted attack,' but they are still working to understand the motive.
Suspect's Background
A woman who lives near the suspect's council house home in Rotherham, Courtney Foster, said she did not see him very often. 'He used to take his dad out shopping while he was still alive, but since then he never really went out much,' she said. Foster added that she would occasionally see him reading in his garden or taking his rubbish out, and that since his father's death, he had shared the home with a family member's dog.
Arrest and Charges
The white British man was initially arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday before being re-arrested on Monday on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Devon and Cornwall Police previously said the case was not being treated as terrorism and there was no information to suggest it was a politically motivated crime. The murder investigation has sparked wider discussion about the safety of MPs. Widdecombe, who was MP for Maidstone, Kent, from 1987 to 2010, was most recently a spokeswoman for Reform UK.
