A private funeral for Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old Reform UK spokeswoman and former Conservative minister, will be held in the coming weeks, with a public memorial planned for later this year, her family announced. Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on July 9, with what police described as serious head injuries.
Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, has been charged with her murder. During a court appearance, prosecutors stated that Widdecombe was allegedly struck 21 times on the head with a hammer in an attack described as planned, targeted, and carried out with significant ferocity. A provisional cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
According to court proceedings, Widdecombe was having lunch at her home on July 8 when Kerry allegedly entered her bungalow. He was arrested on suspicion of murder on July 11. Investigators are also examining potential links to terrorism, although no charges have been filed in relation to this.
A trial date has been tentatively set for June 8, 2027. Prosecutors detailed that Widdecombe missed a pre-arranged online interview on July 8, prompting her personal assistant to ask the family gardener to check on her. The gardener discovered Widdecombe the following day, July 9, on her kitchen floor with a severe head injury.
The court heard that Kerry allegedly drove to Widdecombe's home in a red Vauxhall Corsa on July 8. He is accused of entering the house, striking Widdecombe with a hammer, tipping her from her chair, and taking her wallet before leaving within two minutes.
Kerry appeared emotionless in court, confirming his name and address. He is scheduled for further hearings in October and November. Detectives continue to investigate any potential political or terrorist motives behind the attack.
Widdecombe, who was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1987, served as a prisons minister and later as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party. At the time of her death, she was a spokeswoman for Reform UK, focusing on immigration and justice. She also gained public recognition through appearances on television programs such as 'Strictly Come Dancing' and 'Celebrity Big Brother.'