Joshua Kerry charged with Ann Widdecombe murder as terror motive probed

London,UPDATED: Jul 21, 2026 00:28 IST

British prosecutors on Monday charged 28-year-old Joshua Kerry with murder in the death of former politician and reality TV contestant Ann Widdecombe. He was charged after being held for more than a week on suspicion of murder and acts of terror, while police said they were continuing to investigate his motive, including a possible political or terrorist link.

Widdecombe, 78, a former member of Parliament and a prominent voice in British politics for decades, was known for her blunt style and socially conservative views, including opposition to abortion and the expansion of LGBTQ+ rights. Police said they believe she was attacked on July 8 after she failed to appear for a scheduled TV interview that afternoon, and she was found dead the next day at her isolated rural home in the southwest England village of Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor Park.

Police have not disclosed the cause of death, saying only that Widdecombe had suffered "serious injuries" in what they described as a targeted and brutal attack. Laurence Taylor, head of counter-terrorism policing, said, "I want to make it very clear that our investigation into this individual, determining his motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing." He added, "Given Ann Widdecombe's profile and the targeted nature of the attack, determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active avenue of investigation for our detectives."

Taylor said the investigation was intensive and complex, with detectives working through more than 800 lines of inquiry. Kerry was arrested on July 11 in South Yorkshire in northern England, more than 200 miles from Haytor. He was first arrested on suspicion of murder, but was rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism after police said new evidence was found while he was in custody. He remains in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Widdecombe served in the House of Commons from 1987 to 2010 and held posts including prisons minister in John Major's Conservative government in the 1990s. After leaving Parliament, she found wider fame through the reality television shows "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother". She later joined the Brexit Party and briefly served as a member of the European Parliament before Britain left the European Union in 2020. Most recently, she had joined the anti-immigration Reform UK party and often appeared in the media as a spokesperson.

The killing has again raised concerns in Britain about the safety of politicians after the murders of two serving MPs in the past decade. Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, while Conservative MP David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group. The case over Widdecombe's death remains under investigation, with Kerry now charged with murder and police still examining whether there was a political or terrorist motive.

With PTI Inputs

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