Joshua Kerry, 28, appeared in court charged with the murder of former Conservative MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe.
He is accused of killing the 78-year-old at her bungalow in Haytor, Devon, earlier this month. Prosecutors allege he struck her on the head 21 times with a hammer.
The court heard that security camera footage suggested Ms Widdecombe was attacked on 8 July, 2026.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that Kerry allegedly drove from his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, to Ms Widdecombe’s property. He is accused of entering through the front door while she was having lunch.
Mr Malik said Kerry remained inside the bungalow for about two minutes before leaving. He also alleged that he took Ms Widdecombe’s wallet from her handbag before driving away.
The court was told that concerns were raised after Ms Widdecombe failed to join a scheduled online interview for Channel 5’s ‘Matt Allwright Show’ shortly before 1 pm.
Producers reportedly attempted to contact both her and her personal assistant several times.
Her gardener discovered her lying face down on the kitchen floor the following morning, 9 July. Emergency services attended the scene and confirmed her death.
According to the prosecution, a pathologist’s provisional findings identified blunt force trauma to the head as the cause of death.
Police arrested Kerry on suspicion of murder on 11 July after investigators linked him to a red Vauxhall Corsa seen outside Ms Widdecombe’s home shortly before the alleged attack.
Counter Terrorism Policing later took over the investigation, and Kerry was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Officers are continuing to investigate whether the killing had a political or terrorist motive.
Later on Tuesday, Kerry appeared at the Old Bailey before Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb. The judge refused to grant him bail and remanded him to custody.
A case management hearing has been fixed for 9 October, while a provisional trial date has been set for 8 June 2027.
Earlier in the day, an inquest into Ms Widdecombe’s death opened in Exeter.
Senior coroner for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, Philip Spinney, confirmed the date and time of her death before suspending the inquest until the criminal proceedings have concluded.
“The circumstances of the death are as follows: concerns were raised that Miss Widdecombe was uncontactable. So, an employee who was due at the home address was asked to conduct a welfare check. Miss Widdecombe was located within her property. She was found to be unresponsive and with visible injuries.
“The emergency services were called, and she was sadly declared deceased at the scene. A postmortem examination has taken place, and at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established,” he said.
Mr Spinney also paid tribute to Ms Widdecombe, who represented Maidstone and the Weald as a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010.
She later joined the Brexit Party as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 before becoming Reform UK’s immigration and justice spokesperson.
“It is plain that Miss Widdecombe was much loved and will be greatly missed, and it’s important that we all understand the impact the loss of life has had on those who mourn,” he said.
“A court could appear a harsh and clinical setting for what is an intensely private matter, the death of a loved one. I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Miss Widdecombe.”
Kerry has been charged with murder, but the allegations against him have not been tested in court. It is therefore worth noting that under UK law, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
