Police reveal man, 28, arrested over Ann Widdecombe ‘murder’ is from Rotherham and counter-terrorism cops were involved in raid as officers say attack was not politically-motivated
Police say a 28-year-old man arrested for allegedly murdering former minister Ann Widdecombe is from Rotherham.
Speaking at a press conference today, detectives confirmed that the attack was ‘not politically motivated’, although counter-terrorism officers were also involved in the raid.
The former MP and MP was found dead by his gardener at his cottage in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday morning.
Officers detained the white British man on Saturday and he remains in custody.
Detectives have previously said the case was “moving at a significant pace” and “our priority continues to be identifying those responsible” for Ms Widdecombe’s death.
Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police initially arrested a 26-year-old man but were told he was released yesterday morning and was no longer part of the investigation.
Speaking this morning, Deputy Chief Constable Matt Longman said there was no information that the incident was linked to terrorism but officers remained ‘open-minded’ about the cause of the incident.
He added that police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the alleged murder.
Ms Widdecombe appeared on Talk TV on Wednesday, just days before her death
Ann Widdecombe was found dead in the kitchen of her remote Dartmoor bungalow yesterday.
This is despite reports earlier today that police were hunting the driver of a ‘suspicious car’ seen near Ms Widdecombe’s home in Haytor.
The manager of a garage in Haytor said his colleague alerted police at around 9am on Wednesday morning after noticing a dark-coloured VW Gold Mk4 parked in a ‘strange place’.
He said: ‘[The Golf] It was at the top of the road near Ann’s house. If it was a local vehicle, they would park it in the parking lot or one of the waiting areas.
‘He was getting his walking boots ready. He was in his late 20s, maybe early 30s. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. ‘Why did he park there?’ I remember thinking. He was halfway there.
‘He didn’t seem to fit in. You don’t see many men in their late 20s and early 30s here. He was heading in that direction [of Ann’s house].’
Detectives believe Ms Widdecombe was attacked at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, just half an hour before she appeared on television.
The body of the 78-year-old Conservative-turned-Reform politician was found in a pool of blood in his kitchen less than 24 hours later. At around 11.40 am, the ambulance team notified the police.
A statement made by Devon and Cornwall Police said: ‘We can confirm that a 28-year-old man was arrested at an address in South Yorkshire this evening (11 July) on suspicion of the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
Officers are seen combing through possible evidence
Police officers conducted a fingertip search near his property
‘The suspect, a white British national, is currently in police custody.
‘Mrs Widdecombe’s family have been informed of this development.
‘We were supported by North East and South Yorkshire Counter Terrorism Police, who made the arrest on behalf of Devon and Cornwall Police.
‘There is currently no information to suggest this is a terrorism-related incident and as a force we maintain the priority of the investigation.’
Police asked the garage to provide camera footage of the vehicle, but it turned out they did not have any such cameras.
An investigator from the Channel 5 program had spoken to Ms Widdecombe on the phone in the afternoon to arrange the interview.
Following the meeting, the investigator exchanged messages with Ms Widdecombe and her last message was received at 12.19pm.
The investigator then texted again at 12.48pm to request that Ms Widdecombe join the Zoom link to prepare for the remote interview, but she did not respond.
Subsequent voice calls and messages asking if everything was okay went unanswered. The programme’s research team raised concerns about the unusual lack of response from Ms Widdecombe, who is a regular on the programme.
His representative contacted him later on Wednesday and followed up again on Thursday.
Despite calls not to speculate, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage made a series of controversial comments as he arrived outside Ms Widdecombe’s home and presented flowers on Saturday.
He claimed the attack on the reform justice spokesman was ‘pre-planned’ and that a car arrived at his home minutes before police believed he had been attacked; details have not been confirmed by detectives.
Mr Farage said on Saturday: ‘One of the theories going around is that it was a burglary gone wrong. However, at around 12.25pm on Wednesday, a car pulled out onto the road.
‘If you were a thief, would you literally drive your car into someone’s garage? From what I could see and understand, this was premeditated murder.
‘Whether it is politically motivated or someone holding a grudge. ‘I don’t think it would be helpful to speculate at the moment.’
A senior source told the MoS that Ms Widdecombe’s family ‘did not want her death to be hijacked for political purposes’, adding that they were ‘very uneasy’ about Mr Farage being at the scene.
Asked what message he had for her killer, Mr Farage said: ‘I have nothing to say about someone who committed this act of barbarity against an innocent 78-year-old woman who would not harm a fly.
‘I hope the murderer is caught as soon as possible and brought to justice, that’s all I can say.
‘While we don’t know what the motive is, there’s so much ANPR and CCTV in a town that people are usually caught pretty quickly these days, but look around you.’
This is breaking news. More to follow
