- Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with the murder of Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe , 78, at her remote bungalow in Haytor, Devon , where he allegedly struck her 21 times with a hammer and took her wallet.
- The alleged attack occurred shortly after midday on Wednesday 8 July, with doorbell and hallway cameras capturing the suspect's arrival and the incident, during which he reportedly asked for bank cards and ID.
- Ms Widdecombe was discovered face-down on her kitchen floor the following day by a gardener , after missing a scheduled interview, with a provisional cause of death given as a blunt force injury to the head.
- Kerry was arrested days later at his home in Rotherham , South Yorkshire, where a hammer and black gloves, found to contain Ms Widdecombe's DNA, were recovered from bins outside his property.
- He has been remanded in custody following appearances at Westminster Magistrates' Court and the Old Bailey , with a provisional trial date set for June 2027, while police continue to investigate the motivation, including any potential political motive, behind the attack.
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