A British court has heard that former UK minister Ann Widdecombe was struck 21 times in the head with a hammer during a fatal attack at her home earlier this month.
Widdecombe, 78, a prominent figure in Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and a former Conservative minister, was found dead at her home in southwest England on July 9 after being attacked the previous day.
Police believe the attack was targeted, although investigators have not yet established a motive.
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old British man from northern England, appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London charged with Widdecombe’s murder.
Dressed in a grey tracksuit and sporting a beard, Kerry did not enter a plea. He is scheduled to appear later before the Central Criminal Court, commonly known as the Old Bailey.
According to prosecutor Kashif Malik, security camera footage recorded inside Widdecombe’s home captured the fatal assault.
The court heard that Widdecombe had been due to give a live television interview from her home on July 8 but failed to appear. The following day, after her personal assistant became concerned, a gardener was asked to check on her and found her lying on the kitchen floor.
Prosecutors said the footage shows Kerry entering the house through the front door while Widdecombe was eating lunch. He allegedly asked her, “I don’t suppose you have any bank cards and identification?”
According to the prosecution, Kerry was wearing black gloves and carrying a hammer concealed at his side before striking Widdecombe 21 times to the upper part of her head.
The court was told that after the attack, the suspect allegedly pulled Widdecombe from her chair, took her wallet and left the property. Investigators believe he remained inside the house for approximately two minutes.
The killing has shocked British politics and renewed concerns over the safety of public officials. Two serving British Members of Parliament have also been murdered in separate attacks over the past decade.
Widdecombe served as a junior minister in the Conservative government of former Prime Minister John Major between 1992 and 1997. In recent years, she had become a leading voice within Reform UK, serving as the party’s spokesperson on immigration and justice while remaining well known for her conservative views on social issues.
Joshua Kerry has been charged with murder, and the case remains before the courts.
