A 28-year-old man from Rotherham has been charged with the murder of former government minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe. The charge was read out at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on 21 July 2026.

The defendant, Joshua Kerry, stood in the dock — the enclosed space where an accused person stands in a courtroom. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address. He did not say whether he admitted or denied the charge. The judge ordered that he be kept in custody and sent to the Old Bailey, London's main criminal court, to appear later that day.

Prosecutor Kashif Malik explained the case for the Crown, meaning the state's side in a criminal trial. The court heard that the alleged attack happened on 8 July at Widdecombe's home in Devon while she was eating lunch. Kerry is said to have arrived in a red Vauxhall Corsa and walked in through the front door. Prosecutors said he was inside for about two minutes.

During that time, the prosecution said Kerry hit Widdecombe repeatedly with a hammer, knocked her from her chair, took her wallet and drove away. The court heard she was struck on the head 21 times. A first, temporary cause of death was given as a blow to the head (BBC News).

Widdecombe's body was found through a series of events that began the same afternoon. She had been due to join an online interview with Channel 5's Matt Allwright show just before 13:00 on 8 July. When she did not appear, the show's team contacted her personal assistant, who then asked Widdecombe's gardener to check on her.

The gardener entered the house through the open front door on 9 July and found Widdecombe lying face down on the kitchen floor with a serious head injury (BBC News).

At the time of her death, Widdecombe was working as a spokeswoman for Reform UK (Falmouth Packet, Leader Live). She had a long career in Parliament, including a spell as a Home Office minister under Prime Minister John Major, before later joining Reform UK.

The case now moves to the Old Bailey, where a hearing will take place to prepare for a trial. The first court appearance dealt only with formal matters — reading the charge, confirming who the defendant is, and deciding he should be held in custody. This is normal for serious cases that are passed up to a higher court. No request for bail was reported, and no plea was entered at this stage.

Kerry showed no visible emotion during the hearing, according to reports from the courtroom. The speed of the alleged attack and the theft of a wallet alongside the killing are matters the prosecution will need to explain at trial, to show why the attack happened. The defence has not yet set out its position.