Ann Widdecombe, 78, former British government minister and Reform UK figure, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, on July 9, 2026, after a violent attack the day before [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old white British man from northern England, was charged with her murder [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The attack happened on July 8, when Kerry entered Widdecombe's home during her lunch and repeatedly struck her 21 times on the head with a hammer [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Security footage from inside the home captured Kerry entering through the front door, wearing black gloves and carrying the hammer hidden at his side [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Court statements revealed Kerry asked Widdecombe, "Don't suppose you have bank cards and ID?" before launching the attack and knocking her out of her chair [2, 3]. He then took her wallet and fled in a red car [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The attack lasted approximately two minutes and was described by prosecutors as "extremely vicious" [3, 5]. A pathologist provisionally ruled the cause of death blunt force trauma to the head [6, 7].
Widdecombe's absence from a scheduled live online interview on July 8 prompted her personal assistant to send a gardener to check on her home, where the gardener found her dead the following day [2, 3, 4, 6, 7].
Joshua Kerry appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on July 20 and 21 charged with murder. He was remanded in custody without entering a plea [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Ann Widdecombe was known for her socially conservative views and served as a junior minister in John Major's Conservative government from 1992 to 1997. She was Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years before later becoming a Reform UK spokesperson [1, 3, 5, 6]. After leaving Parliament in 2010, she gained wider public attention through TV reality shows including Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother [3, 6].
Police are continuing to investigate Kerry’s motives, with counterterrorism detectives involved but no confirmed political or terrorist link so far. Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor, said, "Police enquiries into the defendant's motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection" [1].
A court case management hearing for Joshua Kerry’s trial is scheduled for October 9, 2026, with a tentative trial date set for June 8, 2027 [5, 6, 7].
