Man charged with murder of Ann Widdecombe after Devon attack

The Crown Prosecution Service charged 28-year-old Joshua Kerry of Rotherham with murdering Ann Widdecombe after police described the killing as a targeted attack at her Devon home. The allegation has not been tested in court, and prosecutors said Kerry was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 20 July 2026, while investigators continued to work on the motive.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Devon with a head wound after an alleged hammer attack. A former Conservative MP, former Conservative minister and later Reform UK spokeswoman, she had been a prominent national political figure for decades, a fact that intensified public and media attention as soon as the arrest became known.

Kerry was first arrested on 11 July 2026 at his terraced home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and was questioned for almost a week before the murder charge was laid. Detectives also re-arrested him on suspicion of terrorism offences, and investigators were still working through around 800 leads as they examined reports that he may have driven almost 300 miles to reach Devon.

The Crown Prosecution Service said its role is “to make sure the right person is prosecuted for the right offence and to bring offenders to justice wherever possible.” Widdecombe’s family has been informed, and the case now moves into the court process that will determine what can be proved about the attack and what remains only alleged.