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Targeted killing in Devon
Former politician and TV personality Ann Widdecombe was killed in a “targeted attack” at her home in Devon, with British counterterror police saying the motivation was still under investigation.
The Washington Post, citing British counterterror police, said a 28-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder and terror crimes remained in custody on an extended detention warrant under the Terrorism Act that allows police to question him for up to another week.
The BBC reported that Widdecombe, 78, was discovered on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor and that she had sustained serious injuries in an attack police believe took place the previous day.
The BBC also said counter-terrorism police obtained a warrant under the Terrorism Act to hold the 28-year-old suspect arrested in Rotherham on suspicion of murder for up to seven days.
In parallel with the murder inquiry, the BBC said the suspected killing “has not been declared a terrorist incident at this stage.”
Laurence Taylor on motive
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, told reporters on Tuesday that “It is clear that this was a targeted attack” while officers worked to understand the extent of planning and the motivation behind it.
The BBC quoted Taylor saying, “I wouldn't want to comment on what that motivation was yet,” and described multiple lines of inquiry being pursued expeditiously, including “a number of digital forensic examinations.”
The Guardian said the investigation was examining whether a leftwing or single-issue cause may lie behind Widdecombe’s killing, including whether hatred of her views “such as on homosexuality” was a factor.
The Guardian also reported that counter-terrorism police took over the investigation on Monday from the local Devon and Cornwall force and rearrested the suspect on terrorism charges.
In the same BBC update, Taylor said the appearance of the former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman on Talk TV on the morning she was killed was being looked into as part of the investigation.
Threat assessment and next steps
Police said the investigation was running “in parallel” with the murder inquiry, while Taylor told the BBC that “This is a murder investigation following a brutal attack on a 78-year-old woman in her own home.”
The BBC reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons the suspect was not known to the government's Prevent anti-terror scheme, and that Taylor would not comment on whether the arrest on suspicion of terror offences meant separate terrorism offences.
The Telegraph said counter-terror police were investigating whether the man arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe “may have targeted other Reform politicians,” while also examining whether LASIT was a motivating factor.
The Telegraph reported that detectives were examining digital devices seized from the suspect’s home and that officers were keeping an “open mind” about the possibility of foreign state involvement.
The BBC said Taylor’s request was that the public not over speculate and that investigators “go where the investigation takes us,” as the suspect remained under arrest on suspicion of murder and terrorism offences.
