Ann Widdecombe murder suspect charged with preparing terrorism against Nigel Farage
The man charged with murdering UK politician Ann Widdecombe has also been charged with one count of preparation of terrorist acts against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
28-year-old Joshua Kerry has been charged in connection with alleged activity between 31 May 2024 and 8 July 2026, 8 July this year is the day that Widdecombe was killed after being struck over the head with a hammer in her Dartmoor home.
Her body was found the following day, with police estimating she'd been dead for around 24 hours in what Counter Terrorism Police called a 'targeted attack'.
Kerry was arrested on suspicion of killing Widdecombe, who was Reform UK's spokeswoman, on 11 July and then rearrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Advert
Senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, said: “We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time.
“The charge announced today is a result of the tireless work of investigators across the Counter Terrorism Policing network.
“This investigation has been led by a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts, working on multiple lines of enquiry, which has resulted in this very serious charge.”
The day before she was found Widdecombe had been expected to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show via video link, with her last confirmed communication coming between 12:14pm and 12:19pm where she was discussing the appearance with a producer.
No further answer from the politician was given after 12:19pm and officials said they believed the 78-year-old was attacked at around 12:30 that day.
A day after her body was found police arrested a 26-year-old man but he was released the following morning without charge and officers said he was no longer part of the investigation.
Kerry was arrested that same day, and he is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court next week (7 October).
Chief crown prosecutor Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division spoke after Kerry was given the new charge to explain the decision.
He said: “Having carefully reviewed the evidence, we have made the decision to prosecute Joshua Kerry for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts.
“Our prosecutors have worked closely with police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court, and we will continue working with them as their investigation progresses.”
Joe Harker