A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, an icon of British conservatism who was found dead at her Devon home earlier this month.
Joshua Kerry, 28, is accused of killing Widdecombe, 78, at her bungalow in Haytor on July 8.
Prosecutors allege he struck her 21 times with a hammer after entering the property while she was eating lunch.
During a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Kerry confirmed his name, date of birth and address. He did not enter a plea.
🚨 NEW: A court sketch of Joshua Kerry, the man accused of murdering Ann Widdecombe with a hammer pic.twitter.com/ciRTirk5Ez
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) July 21, 2026
Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that security camera footage placed Kerry at Widdecombe’s home shortly before the attack.
He is alleged to have driven from his home in Rotherham, entered the bungalow through the front door, remained inside for around two minutes and then left with Widdecombe’s wallet.
Concern for her welfare was raised after she failed to attend a scheduled online interview for Channel 5 shortly before 1pm.
Widdecombe was discovered the following morning by her gardener, lying on the kitchen floor of her home. Emergency services pronounced her dead at the scene.
A provisional post-mortem examination found she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Kerry was arrested on July 11th after investigators linked him to a red Vauxhall Corsa seen outside the property around the time of the killing.
Police initially denied that there was a political motive for the attack, although they have since transferred the case to counterterrorism police.
Footage of the suspect in the murder of Ann Widdecombe has been released, showing him leave his home early on Wednesday morning carrying a weapon, driving nearly 300 miles and killing the 78yr old lady.
And again police have reiterated “no political motivation”?
Seriously? https://t.co/U1qE6Ik7au pic.twitter.com/MoQtiBjAJF
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) July 12, 2026
Later on Tuesday, Kerry appeared before the Old Bailey, where Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded him in custody and refused bail.
Widdecombe represented Maidstone and The Weald as a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010, becoming one of Britain’s most recognizable and influential conservative voices.
Renowned for her good humor and staunch conservatism, she remained a familiar figure in public life long after leaving Parliament through broadcasting, writing and television appearances.
A committed Eurosceptic, she returned to frontline politics in 2019 when she was elected to the European Parliament for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party.
She also ecame a household name through television, competing on Strictly Come Dancing and presenting Ann Widdecombe to the Rescue, in which she helped struggling families and individuals turn their lives around.
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