Who is Joshua Kerry? The suspect charged with murdering Ann Widdecombe
It has been announced that the person suspected of killing former MP Ann Widdecombe is former elevator company employee Joshua Kerry.
The 28-year-old man was charged with murdering the 78-year-old Reform England spokesman after almost a week of interrogation.
Mr Kerry was first arrested at his terraced house in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, at 9pm on Saturday, July 11.
He is suspected of traveling almost 300 miles to carry out the attack on Miss Widdecombe, who was seriously injured at her remote home in Haytor, Devon, at around 12.30pm on Wednesday, July 8. He was found dead the next day.
Announcing the charges on Monday, chief prosecutor Frank Ferguson of the CPS Special Crime and Counter-Terrorism Service said: “Following the police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor, we decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder.
“Police investigations into the defendant’s motives, including any potential political or terrorist links, are ongoing.
“Our prosecutors worked closely with police to determine that there was sufficient evidence for this case to proceed to trial, and we will continue to work with them as the investigation progresses.
“We remind all concerned that the trial against the defendant is active and the defendant has the right to a fair trial.
“It is vital that no news, comments or information is shared that could harm these operations in any way.”
The defendant is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
According to reports, Mr Kerry, who formerly worked for an elevator company, lived with his dog in a housing estate in the Kimberworth area of the city. Neighbors claimed they had rarely seen him in public since his father’s death last December.
Her mother, a former teacher’s assistant, is believed to have moved away. It is understood that two of his brothers left the region and one joined the navy.
Mr Kerry’s uncle described his nephew as a “gentle giant” who was “kind” and “very shy”.
“Never in a million years” did he think his nephew would be linked to her death, adding he was “in total shock” when he found out he had been arrested, he told Telegram.
He also paid tribute to Ms Widdecombe, who he said was “outspoken, tough and principled”.
The interior minister said the suspect was not previously known in Prevent, the government’s counter-terrorism plan.
Counter Terrorism Police chief Laurence Taylor said Ms Widdecombe’s death was a “targeted attack” and confirmed there would be a “line of inquiry” as to whether the suspect was targeting Reform figures in the UK.
The fiery politician was first elected as a Conservative MP for Kent in 1987. During his long political career, he served as an MP for the Brexit Party and later as spokesperson for Reform UK.
He first retired from politics at the 2010 general election and returned nine years later in 2019 as a candidate for the Brexit party in the European parliament.
In the intervening years, he also rose to fame outside of politics after appearing in reality shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother. He has also appeared in many pantomime productions and the ITV series ‘Ann Widdecombe Versus’.
