Crime21 July, 20262 min read
Joshua Kerry Struck Ann Widdecombe 21 Times With Hammer in Haytor, Devon
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Ann Widdecombe was killed at her Haytor, Devon home. Joshua Kerry, 28, charged with murder, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court.
Hammer attack in Haytor
Former British politician Ann Widdecombe, 78, was struck 21 times on the head with a hammer as she was eating lunch at home in Haytor, Devon, prosecutors told a court hearing in London on Tuesday. Prosecutor Kashif Malik said Joshua Kerry, 28, arrived at Widdecombe’s house in a red Vauxhall Corsa on 8 July, entered through the front door, and was in the property for about two minutes before driving off.
Malik told the court that Kerry allegedly tipped Widdecombe from her chair, took her wallet, and that a provisional cause of death was given as a “blunt force injury to the head.” The BBC reported that security camera footage from Widdecombe’s home showed she was fatally attacked the day before, and that the attack was carried out with a “ferocity of violence.”
Court dates and investigation
Kerry, who spoke only to confirm his identity and did not enter a plea, was ordered held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Central Criminal Court on Oct. 9, according to prosecutors at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
The BBC said Kerry was expected to 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.
At the Old Bailey, the investigation into whether there was a terrorism connection or political motivation for the attack is continuing, with the BBC saying police were still investigating whether there was a terrorism connection or political motivation for the attack.
The Guardian reported that Kerry was denied bail and remanded in custody at the Old Bailey before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, with a case management hearing scheduled for 9 October and a provisional trial date set for 8 June 2027.
Security concerns and motive
Police are investigating Kerry’s motive, including a potential political or terrorist connection, prosecutors said, and the NBC News report placed the case within renewed concerns over security for politicians. NBC News said the killing has renewed concerns over the security for politicians, which had been tightened in the past decade after the murders of Jo Cox and David Amess.
The Independent reported that Counter Terrorism Policing head Laurence Taylor said establishing whether the attack was politically motivated remains an “active avenue of investigation,” and that the investigation into Kerry’s motivations and any wider activity is continuing. The Guardian added that the investigation into whether there was an alleged political or terrorism motivation for Widdecombe’s death is continuing, while an inquest opened in Exeter into her death and was suspended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.