Man accused of killing UK politician appears in court as prosecutors detail hammer attack

MANCHESTER, England (CN) — The man charged with murdering former British government minister Ann Widdecombe appeared at two London courts Tuesday as prosecutors accused him of striking the 78-year-old politician 21 times in the head with a hammer.

Joshua Kerry, 28, of Rotherham in Yorkshire, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sent the case to the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, which hears England and Wales’ most serious criminal cases.

Later the same day, Kerry appeared at the Old Bailey, where Judge Richard Marks remanded him in custody.

He is due to return Oct. 9 for a case management hearing before a plea and trial preparation hearing on Nov. 20.

A provisional trial date was set for June 8, 2027.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the magistrates court Widdecombe was eating lunch at her home in Haytor, on Dartmoor in southwest England, on Wednesday, July 8, when Kerry arrived in a red Vauxhall Corsa.

Kerry, who had traveled about 265 miles from Yorkshire to Dartmoor, entered through the front door.

Malik said Kerry walked into the kitchen and hit Widdecombe on the head 21 times with a hammer before tipping her from her chair, taking a wallet from her handbag and driving away.

Prosecutors said he spent about two minutes inside the property.

A postmortem examination found Widdecombe died from a “blunt force injury to the head,” prosecutors told the court.

The court appearance came one day after the Crown Prosecution Service charged Kerry with murder following an investigation led by Britain’s counterterrorism police.

The case has drawn national attention because of Widdecombe’s long political career and because detectives are investigating whether the killing was linked to politics or terrorism.

Britain’s specialist counterterrorism policing network took over the investigation after officers said they uncovered evidence requiring its involvement, although authorities have not identified a motive.

Widdecombe was the third British lawmaker to fall victim to a fatal attack in the past decade.

Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist days before the U.K.’s Brexit referendum.

Conservative lawmaker David Amess was fatally stabbed during a meeting with constituents in 2021 by a man inspired by Islamic State.

Both killings prompted a major review of security for elected officials.

Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said prosecutors had authorized the murder charge after working closely with police.

“Police inquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection,” Ferguson said.

He urged the public not to publish material that could prejudice the proceedings, noting Kerry has the right to a fair trial.

Police have said Kerry was initially arrested on suspicion of murder before being rearrested under Britain’s terrorism laws after investigators uncovered additional evidence.

Detectives have continued searching properties linked to the investigation while examining whether ideology or extremism played any role in the attack.

Widdecombe served for 23 years as a Conservative member of Parliament representing Maidstone in southeast England and was a junior minister in Prime Minister John Major’s government between 1994 and 1997.

After leaving Parliament, she became a television personality before joining the Brexit Party, serving in the European Parliament and later becoming a spokesperson for the far-right Reform UK party.

Hours before investigators believe she was attacked, Widdecombe appeared on television defending Reform leader Nigel Farage after he resigned from Parliament, triggering a special election.

Courthouse News reporter James Francs Whitehead is based in England.

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