South Yorkshire Man Charged With Murder Of Ann Widdecombe
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old from Rotherham, has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe. Police say inquiries into his motive, including any political…
Rotherham — Joshua Kerry Rotherham, a 28-year-old man from South Yorkshire, has been charged with the murder of former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe, police and prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Kerry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The charge comes after Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday, July 9, after suffering serious injuries.
Counter Terrorism Policing said determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active line of inquiry. It said investigators are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Police say motive inquiry continues
In a statement outside New Scotland Yard, Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter Terrorism Policing, said the investigation into Kerry and any wider activity he may have been involved in was continuing. “As with all murder investigations, understanding the 'why' is a key part of our enquiries,” he said, calling it “a particularly intensive and complex investigation”.
Taylor also said counter-terrorism teams had gathered “a huge amount of information” over the last week and had developed more than 800 lines of enquiry. The case is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East with support from Devon and Cornwall Police.
That detail matters well beyond this one prosecution. When a murder inquiry moves into the counter-terrorism arena, investigators widen the net fast. They look for motive, contacts, online activity and any wider pattern that could explain why a former MP and party spokeswoman was killed. For the public, it means police are treating the case as more than a straightforward homicide while still keeping the charge in court tightly focused on evidence.
What prosecutors said
Frank Ferguson, the chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service special crime and counter-terrorism division, said prosecutors had worked closely with police to decide there was enough evidence to bring the case before the court. “We will continue working with them as their investigation progresses,” he said.
He also warned against material that could affect the proceedings. “We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial,” Ferguson said. “It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Police said Kerry was first arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11. He was then arrested again on July 13 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Widdecombe’s death on July 9 triggered a fast-moving inquiry that initially led to a different arrest. Devon and Cornwall Police first detained a 26-year-old man from Newton Abbot, Devon, but later released him and said he was no longer part of the investigation.
The later shift to Kerry came after “new information and evidence” emerged, according to the Guardian’s report, which said counter-terrorism policing south-east took over the case last Monday. Police officers described Kerry as a white British national.
Kerry’s court appearance on Tuesday will be the next formal step in a case that has now moved from a local death investigation in Devon into a high-profile prosecution with national security questions still open.
Those questions remain central. Taylor said investigators were not searching for anyone else, but he stressed the work was ongoing and that understanding Kerry’s motives was still at the heart of the inquiry.
