Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe was struck 21 times on the head with a hammer while eating lunch at her Devon home, prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, as the man accused of her murder made his first court appearances.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik said Joshua Kerry arrived at Widdecombe's home in Haytor, Devon, in a red Vauxhall Corsa on 8 July and entered through the front door. Wearing black gloves, Kerry allegedly remained inside for about two minutes before repeatedly attacking the former MP with a hammer in her kitchen.

Attack captured on home security footage

The court heard that Widdecombe was knocked from her chair during the assault. Prosecutors allege Kerry then stole her wallet before leaving the property in his car.

Security camera footage from the house is said to have captured the fatal attack.

Sketch courtesy of Julia Quenzler/BBC

Investigation continues

Malik told the court that Widdecombe failed to attend a scheduled online interview with Channel 5's Matt Allwright programme shortly before 13:00 BST on 8 July.

After attempts to contact her through her personal assistant were unsuccessful, the assistant asked Widdecombe's gardener to check on her welfare, the court heard.

Police are continuing to investigate whether the attack had a political or terrorist motive. The case is being led by counter-terrorism detectives.

Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was charged with one count of murder on Monday night. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address. He was not asked to enter a plea.

Old Bailey hearing

Later on Tuesday, Kerry also appeared before the Old Bailey, where prosecutor Alistair Richardson described the killing as having been carried out with a "ferocity of violence".

The defendant was remanded in custody and is expected to be held at HMP Belmarsh in south-east London.

He is due to return to the Old Bailey on 9 October for a case management hearing. A provisional trial date has been set for 8 June 2027.

The court heard that a pathologist's provisional cause of death was blunt force injury to the head.

At an earlier inquest hearing, which was opened and adjourned on Tuesday, officials heard that emergency services were called on the day Widdecombe's body was discovered. She was pronounced dead at 12:20.

Although a post-mortem examination has been completed, the hearing was told that the precise medical cause of death has yet to be formally established.

Political career

Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years and held ministerial posts in Sir John Major's government during the 1990s.

After leaving the House of Commons, she became a familiar television personality, appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and finishing as runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018.

She later represented South West England as a Member of the European Parliament for the Brexit Party before joining Reform UK as a party spokeswoman in 2023.

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22 July 2026

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By a White guy born in England? Is that correct

4 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

By a White guy born in England? Is that correct

Yes, a Leftie White guy born in the UK .

He signed an open letter favouring Corbyn's Our Party.

Signed along with

• Jeanine Hourani, Palestinian Youth Movement

• Imran Khan KC, progressive lawyer, former solicitor to the family of Stephen Lawrence

• Louise Regan, teacher, trade unionist, Palestine activist

https://openletter.earth/sign-the-open-letter-baf85a5c?limit=0

Killing someone with a hammer is personal. What was the motivation?

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Yes, a Leftie White guy born in the UK .

He signed an open letter favouring Corbyn's Our Party.

Signed along with

• Jeanine Hourani, Palestinian Youth Movement

• Imran Khan KC, progressive lawyer, former solicitor to the family of Stephen Lawrence

• Louise Regan, teacher, trade unionist, Palestine activist

https://openletter.earth/sign-the-open-letter-baf85a5c?limit=0

Guilt by Association fallacy. ✅

Association fallacy - Wikipedia https://share.google/kbDv6nLrcfre9DQET

Remember Trump's dinner with Nick Fuentes whose presence was unplanned and unknown to him beforehand. Because Presidents have no security checks on anyone who meets with them? Is that what you want us to believe? He had no idea?

So an actual Na** meets with Trump and that's 👌 White Supremacist level, but a guy signs a letter with others, who never even meet each other (DocuSign online signatures) and we're supposed to believe they were bosom buddies breaking bread together at some low class golf club.

Got it. 😄

Edited July 21Jul 21 by SiSePuede419
Association

28 minutes ago, TedG said:

Killing someone with a hammer is personal. What was the motivation?

Psycho lefty

2 hours ago, TedG said:

Killing someone with a hammer is personal. What was the motivation?

Hatred of conservatives. Common amongst nutty leftists. Just look at some of the loons on here. 😄

He's certainly a master of disguise though. Doesn't even look like the same guy. One looks like a council estate chav and the other one looks like an ANTIFA LGBTQ supporter.

Edited July 22Jul 22 by JonnyF

6 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Yes, a Leftie White guy born in the UK .

He signed an open letter favouring Corbyn's Our Party.

Signed along with

• Jeanine Hourani, Palestinian Youth Movement

• Imran Khan KC, progressive lawyer, former solicitor to the family of Stephen Lawrence

• Louise Regan, teacher, trade unionist, Palestine activist

https://openletter.earth/sign-the-open-letter-baf85a5c?limit=0

It is a free country. I suspect that I disagree fundamentally with the views of Messrs Hourani. Khan and Regan but they are entirely free to express support for Corbyn - prat, pillock and naive terrorist apologist that he is.

That he (the accused) signed the same open letter as them, amongst others, has no bearing upon the horrific killing of Miss Widdicombe.

I am sure that Messrs Hourani. Khan and Regan are as horrified by an elderly lady being beaten to death in her kitchen as anyone, left or right.

Edited July 22Jul 22 by JAG

9 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Guilt by Association fallacy. ✅

Association fallacy - Wikipedia https://share.google/kbDv6nLrcfre9DQET

Remember Trump's dinner with Nick Fuentes whose presence was unplanned and unknown to him beforehand. Because Presidents have no security checks on anyone who meets with them? Is that what you want us to believe? He had no idea?

So an actual Na** meets with Trump and that's 👌 White Supremacist level, but a guy signs a letter with others, who never even meet each other (DocuSign online signatures) and we're supposed to believe they were bosom buddies breaking bread together at some low class golf club.

Got it. 😄

You either seem to be quoting Trump or talking about him .

This story is about British person killing another British person in Britain, nothing to do with Trump or the USA .