Man, 28, Charged With Murder of Ann Widdecombe, Police Say

A 28-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe following her death at her home in Devon.

Joshua Kerry, of Rotherham, is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning and remains in police custody.

The 78-year-old former Conservative minister and Brexit Party MEP was found dead at her property in Haytor, on Dartmoor, on July 9 after suffering what police described as “serious injuries”.

Investigators believe the Reform spokeswoman was killed at around 12.30pm the previous day, shortly after she had given a television interview.

Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor in the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said this evening: “We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor.

“Police enquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.

“Our prosecutors have worked closely with the police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court, and we will continue working with them as their investigation progresses.”

Speaking outside Scotland Yard, police said they are not seeking anyone else in connection with the case, while work continues to establish the motive behind the attack.

Head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said: ‘I would like to firstly offer my deepest condolences to the family of Ann Widdecombe, and to everyone who knew and loved her. The impact she had on public and political life in this country has been clear to see since her death on the 8th of July.

‘I hope some of the tributes paid over the last week have been of comfort to her family, who are also being supported by our specialist family liaison officers.

‘It remains the case that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident.

‘I know there has been significant interest in this case – and rightly so. I want to make it very clear that our investigation into this individual, determining his motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing.

‘Given Ann Widdecombe’s profile and the targeted nature of the attack, determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active avenue of investigation for our detectives.’

Mr Taylor said much like all murder probes, understanding the ‘why’ has been a key part of the force’s probe.

He added: ‘This has been, and remains, a particularly intensive and complex investigation.

‘Over the last week, our teams have gathered a huge amount of information, leading to over 800 lines of enquiry. Each of those needs assessing, carefully and thoroughly, and I ask that we are given the time to do that.

‘Should Counter Terrorism Policing identify further offences, we will liaise with the Crown Prosecution Service and work to submit evidence where appropriate.

‘As always, to ensure the best outcome for victims and their families, we must do this right, not just quickly. And I reiterate my ask for the support of the public in this.

‘I know many have been understandably concerned about their own safety after this horrendous attack, particularly after hearing about the nature of the attack she endured, in her own home.

‘We are working closely with the Speaker of the House and the relevant authorities to ensure elected officials are aware of what we have in place to protect them.

‘As criminal proceedings are now underway, and to avoid impeding the judicial process, we will not be making any further comment on the investigation unless absolutely appropriate.

‘I would like to thank the public, the media, and those right across the political spectrum for their engagement and support whilst we progress this challenging investigation.

‘I ask for patience as our teams do their work, thank you for your support so far.’ 

Devon and Cornwall Police were on the case before counter-terror officers took over.

Kerry, a former maintenance scheduler at a lift firm, lived alone on the Kimberworth Park estate following the death of his father. 

The 28-year-old was pictured in 2022 holding up a jar of Easter eggs as part of a charity fundraiser for a local charity.

Sharing the image, colleagues described Kerry as ‘part of the engine room’ of the firm.

Neighbours last week described him as polite, ‘quiet and shy’, saying he would take the bins out for them or hold on to parcels on their behalf.

Last week Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said officers believed that Ms Widdecombe was the victim of a ‘targeted attack’ but were still looking into the ‘motivation’ behind her killing. 

Kerry was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11 after officers – some of them armed – descended on his council house in South Yorkshire. 

However two days later he was re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. 

Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said new information and evidence had come to light, prompting it to take over the investigation.

Officers initially arrested a 26-year-old man in Devon the day after Ms Widdecombe’s body was found – but he was released the following morning and is no longer part of the investigation.

Ms Widdecombe’s final texts before her death possibly pinpoint the moment she was killed. 

She was engaged in a conversation with a Channel 5 TV executive when her messages suddenly stopped without explanation.

A producer was discussing with the former MP her scheduled appearance on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show on July 8.

In a WhatsApp conversation shared with ITV News, the producer was discussing details about the appearance with Ms Widdecombe and asked her to join a Zoom call from her home.

The WhatsApp chat shows they were regularly exchanging messages between 12.14pm and 12.19pm.

The last message Ms Widdecombe sent at 12.19pm said: ‘Received! Panic over!!’

A WhatsApp ‘double blue tick’ receipt shows Ms Widdecombe did read a response sent at 12.19pm, but did not read any of the subsequent messages from the producer, with the first follow-up sent at 12.48pm.

The producer attempted to call Ms Widdecombe numerous times but received no answer.

At 12.55pm the producer asked: ‘Hi Ann is everything ok?’

At 1.27pm Allwright confirmed live on his show that Widdecombe was scheduled as a guest, but that she had not turned up.

The show’s production team followed up with Ms Widdecombe’s agent later that day and the one after. 

All of the WhatsApp messages have been passed on to the police.

Devon and Cornwall Police later said it is believed that Ms Widdecombe was attacked on July 8 at around 12.30pm.

She was a Conservative MP in Kent between 1987 and 2010 and held several ministerial positions in Sir John Major’s government. 

Ms Widdecombe appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

She served as an MEP for the Brexit Party until Britain left the European Union, becoming immigration and justice spokesperson after it became Reform UK in 2023.

A hearing is scheduled at County Hall in Exeter at 10am on Tuesday to open an inquest into her death.