Brexit stalwart Anne Widdecombe was allegedly murdered by being struck 21 times in the head with a hammer as she was eating lunch, prosecutors told the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, appeared before court on Tuesday, as he faces charges of murdering former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe at her home in Devon on July 8th.
According to the BBC, Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that Kerry had driven hundreds of miles in a red Vauxhall Corsa and entered her home through the front door. Malik said that Kerry was wearing black gloves and wielding a hammer when he entered Widdecombe’s house.
He is then accused of striking the 78-year-old woman in the head 21 times as she was at her kitchen table eating lunch. Before leaving the property after just two minutes, Kerry is also said to have tipped over her chair and taken Widdecombe’s wallet.
The court heard that her body was discovered the following day by her gardener, who was asked to check in on her after she failed to attend a pre scheduled interview on Channel 5 on the day of her death. Prosecutors said that the gardener found her lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head wound.
Prosecutors said that there was security camera footage indicating that she had been physically attacked on the day of her death. Meanwhile, a pathologist told the court that the provisional determination is that Widdecombe died from blunt force trauma to her head.
Malik added that police are still investigating a potential political or terror motive behind the killing.
Kerry, who was charged with one count of murder following an investigation headed up by Counter Terror Policing South East, did not enter a plea on Tuesday. He is expected to next appear before the Old Bailey in October, with a provisional trial date being set for June of next year.
The BBC reported that he sat “emotionless” in the courtroom on Tuesday and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address.
Widdecombe served for over two decades in the House of Commons, during which she also served as a government minister under former Conservative PM John Major. A strident advocate of Christian values, she was a leading pro-life voice in the country and opposed gay marriage.
She also stood as a leading figure in the Brexit campaign, during which she forcefully argued in favour of Britain regaining control over its borders. In recent years, she served as a spokesman for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on X: Follow @KurtZindulka or e-mail to: [email protected]
Read the full article here