British prosecutors announced on Monday the indictment of a 28-year-old man for the murder of Ann Widdecombe, a former British MP found dead at her home in early July, of which he was the sole suspect.
• Also read: Murder of former British MP Ann Widdecombe: a “targeted attack”, according to the police
• Also read: Murder of former English MP Ann Widdecombe: anti-terrorist police in charge of investigation
• Also read: Former English MP Ann Widdecombe found dead: a police investigation opened in the United Kingdom
Joshua Kerry, who was arrested two days after the discovery of the body of Ms Widdecombe, a 78-year-old spokesperson for the anti-immigration Reform UK party, will appear in a London court on Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
“We have decided to charge Joshua Kerry with murder following the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe,” Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor at the CPS, said in a statement.
“Police investigations into the defendant’s motivations are continuing, including a possible political or terrorist link,” he added.
Joshua Kerry, a “white British national”, was first arrested on July 11 for the murder of this figure of the conservative right, before the anti-terrorist police announced, two days later, that they were now in charge of the investigation.
She then indicated, without giving further details, that it was a “targeted attack”.
Joshua Kerry is based in Rotherham, in the north-east of the country, almost 300 miles from Ann Widdecombe’s home in Haytor, Devon (southwest of England). His body had “serious injuries” when it was discovered, according to police.
Ann Widdecombe was a Conservative MP from 1987 to 2010 and Secretary of State for Prisons (1995-1997).
A fervent supporter of Brexit, she left the Tories in 2019 to join Nigel Farage’s party, under whose banner she was elected an MEP, before becoming a spokesperson for the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
She was also known to the public for having participated in the British version of “Dancing with the Stars” and the reality television show “Celebrity Big Brother”.
