A former Labour candidate who is transgender is facing inquiries after allegedly celebrating reports of Ann Widdecombe’s death and saying she hoped the former politician had “screamed in agony.”
Heather Herbert, who works as a web developer at Aberdeen University, described the news of Ms Widdecombe’s death as “good news” in an offensive post shared on BlueSky.
Police and the university both opened investigations after members of the public reported the remarks, which were posted before details of the murder inquiry became public.
Ms Herbert later refused to retract her comments, saying she was “glad [Ms Widdecombe] was dead” even after harrowing information about the 78-year-old’s killing emerged.
Figures on the hard left have since been criticised for appearing to turn Ms Widdecombe’s death into a political weapon.
Piers Morgan called the response “despicably cruel, heartless and abusive,” adding that it had reminded him “that the least kind people on earth are ironically those on the #BeKind woke left.”
Ms Herbert, who previously stood for Labour in Aberdeen Donside, wrote: “Some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death.”
She went on to add: “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.”
Former Scottish Labour candidate Heather Herbert, a web developer at Aberdeen University, relished in the news of Ms Widdecombe’s death online
Ms Herbert doubled down on her comments even after the murder investigation was made public
Ms Herbert said she hoped Ms Widdecombe had suffered an agonising death
A petition was launched willing Aberdeen University to conduct a formal review into whether Ms Herbert’s comments fell foul of the institution’s ethical standards.
Student newspaper The Gaudie contacted Ms Herbert on Saturday, to which she replied: ‘I don’t want to see anyone murdered, but I’m still glad she is dead.
‘I’m not a hypocrite. I posted that before the murder investigation was launched.
‘I’m a nobody. I have no power to do anything. Ann Widdecombe was able to and made the lives of ordinary people hell.’
Aberdeen University was quick to distance itself from her comments, with rector Iona Fyfe saying: ‘I’d like to condemn any comments which glorifies violence of any sort, against anyone.’
Principal and Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Edwards, said the university has a zero-tolerance approach to ‘violence or hateful behaviour’, and gave his assurance the comments were being investigated ‘as a priority’.
Police confirmed they had received reports about the comments, but that no criminality had been found.
Police Scotland said: ‘We have received reports relating to a post made online. The information has been assessed and no criminality has been established.’
Aberdeen University said: ‘The University is aware of social media posts made by a member of staff regarding the death of Ann Widdecombe and is reviewing this as a matter of priority.
‘The comments that have been shared are entirely the individual’s own and do not represent the views of the University of Aberdeen.
‘Complaints into any member of staff are handled confidentially through our established processes.’
Widdecombe was killed in her home on Wednesday last week, and discovered 24 hours later
Police were searching an address in Rotherham on Sunday, where they arrested a man on suspicion of Ann Widdecombe’s murder
Former Conservative MP and media personality Ann Widdecombe died at the age of 78 on Wednesday last week.
Police are treating her death as a murder after she was found at her home with severe head injuries, and a 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire in connection with the incident.
Widdecombe was a prominent, socially conservative politician who served as the MP for Maidstone for 23 years and as a government minister under John Major.
Later in her career, she transitioned into television, appearing on shows like Strictly Come Dancing, before returning to politics as a staunch Brexit supporter, serving as an MEP and later representing Reform UK.
This comes after it was revealed today that a man is believed to have driven nearly 300 miles to the 79-year-old former MP’s Dartmoor home on the morning of her death on Wednesday.
Neighbours claimed they saw him putting ‘foot-long pole’ into the passenger side of a red car before driving off.
Police were today continuing to search the home of the man, who was arrested by armed officers last night on suspicion of murdering Ms Widdecombe.
Forensic experts remain inside the mid-terraced address on a council estate in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, with uniformed officers on guard outside.
Forensic officers were seen heading into the house, after it was confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the murder was politically motivated
Floral tributes have been left on the grass outside her home, including a framed photograph of Ms Widdecombe
Neighbours said around a dozen armed officers surrounded the property last night before knocking loudly at the door – an hour before England’s World Cup match against Norway kicked off.
The suspect, one of three brothers who locals described as a ‘loner’ who normally rarely left the house since his father died last year, answered the door and was arrested.
One of the man’s brothers is believed to live in Devon, while a second brother and his mother are said to live locally.
This afternoon, the house remained cordoned off and guarded by police, with a dark blue tactical support unit, another police van and a police four-wheel drive vehicle parked outside.
