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Hammer attack and charges
Ann Widdecombe was struck 21 times on the head with a hammer at her home in Haytor, Devon, as she ate lunch, prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates' Court.
“Ann Widdecombe was hit on head 21 times with hammer, prosecutors say Ann Widdecombe was hit on the head with a hammer 21 times at her home as she ate lunch in an attack that was caught on camera, prosecutors have told Westminster Magistrates' Court”
Prosecutor Kashif Malik said Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old charged with murder, arrived at Widdecombe's house on 8 July in a red Vauxhall Corsa, entered through the front door, and was in the property for about two minutes before driving off.
The court heard that Kerry tipped Widdecombe from her chair and took her wallet before leaving, and a provisional cause of death was given as a "blunt force injury to the head".
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded Kerry in custody until he appears at the Old Bailey, where a provisional trial date was listed for 8 June 2027.
The BBC reported that security camera footage from Widdecombe's home in Haytor, Devon, showed she had been fatally attacked the day before, and that a post-mortem examination had taken place but "at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established."
Court details and investigation
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, prosecutor Alistair Richardson said the attack on Widdecombe had been carried out with a "ferocity of violence," and the BBC said Kerry arrived at her house on 8 July in a red Vauxhall Corsa and entered through the front door.
The BBC added that Kerry was in the property for two minutes, was wearing black gloves, and prosecutors said police were still investigating whether there was a terrorism connection or political motivation for the attack.
The BBC said Widdecombe did not attend a pre-arranged online interview with Channel 5's Matt Allwright show scheduled for just before 13:00 BST on 8 July, and that the production team tried to contact her through her personal assistant and then her gardener.
At the Old Bailey, Sky News said Kerry was remanded in custody and that assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of counter terrorism policing, said that "determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active avenue of investigation".
Sky News also said teams were pursuing more than 800 lines of inquiry after gathering a large amount of information in the past week, as Kerry's first appearance ended with his next appearance due later that afternoon at the Old Bailey.
Next court steps and stakes
Kerry, who spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, was not asked to enter a plea and was ordered held in custody.
“Ex-UK minister Ann Widdecombe was struck 21 times with a hammer A man accused of murdering former UK government minister Ann Widdecombe struck her 21 times on the head with a hammer during a violent attack at her home, prosecutors told a London court on Tuesday”
The BBC said it is expected that he will be remanded at HMP Belmarsh in south-east London, and that he will next appear at the same court on 9 October for a case management hearing.
A provisional trial date was listed for 8 June 2027, and Sky News said Kerry will appear at the same court on 9 October for a case management hearing before a further plea and trial preparation hearing on 20 November.
The Independent quoted CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division chief crown prosecutor Frank Ferguson saying, "We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder" and that police enquiries into the defendant's motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection.
The Independent also quoted Ferguson warning, "It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings," as the case proceeds through the UK courts.
