Man, 28, charged with murder of Ann WiddecombeImage source, SuppliedImage caption, Joshua Kerry has been charged with Ann Widdecombe's murder, police sayByElla KiplingPublished20 July 2026, 18:49 BSTUpdated 3 minutes agoA 28-year-old man named as Joshua Kerry has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe, police and prosecutors have said.Kerry, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.Police enquiries into the defendant's motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.Kerry was initially arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July, before being additionally arrested on 13 July on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.Widdecombe, 78, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead on Thursday 9 July at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries.Head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said that given Widdecombe's profile and the "targeted nature of the attack", determining the motivation for the attack remains an "active avenue of investigation" for detectives.Frank Ferguson, Chief Crown Prosecutor of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor.""We remind all concerned that proceedings against the defendant are active and he has the right to a fair trial," Ferguson said."It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings."Related topicsAnn Widdecombe