Inquest opened into death of Ann Widdecombe as murder suspect appears in court

The precise medical cause of the death of Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, has yet to be established, Exeter Coroner's Court heard yesterday as an inquest was formally opened and adjourned. The 78-year-old former MP and MEP was discovered unresponsive at her home in Haytor, Devon, on 9 July with what were described as "visible injuries", prompting an investigation that has since been taken over by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, supported by Devon and Cornwall Police. Senior coroner Philip Spinney, who has jurisdiction for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, told the hearing that a post-mortem examination had been conducted but that "at this stage the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established", adding that the inquest would now be adjourned "until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings".

In a development that has sent shockwaves through Westminster and beyond, Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, has been charged with Widdecombe's murder and arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday, where he was due to appear. Kerry was first arrested on suspicion of murder two days after Widdecombe's body was found, and was later re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The investigation, which remains ongoing, has been led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East, with the nature of any alleged terrorist link yet to be disclosed by the authorities.

The court heard that Widdecombe was found by an employee who had carried out a welfare check after she had become "uncontactable". Emergency services were summoned to the property, but she was pronounced dead at 12:20 BST on Thursday, 9 July. The former politician's death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the political spectrum, reflecting a career that spanned more than two decades in the House of Commons and later took her to the European Parliament and into the world of reality television.

Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone in Kent for 23 years, having been first elected in 1987, and was appointed to ministerial roles in Sir John Major's government during the 1990s, where she established a reputation as one of the more outspoken figures on the Tory benches. Following her departure from the Commons at the 2010 general election, she reinvented herself as a television personality, appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and later finishing as runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, proving herself no stranger to the glare of popular entertainment. She subsequently returned to frontline politics as a Member of the European Parliament for South West England, representing the Brexit Party, and in 2023 she joined Reform UK, the successor to the Brexit Party, as a party spokeswoman.

The circumstances surrounding her death have raised profound questions, not least given the involvement of counter-terrorism officers in the investigation. Kerry's initial arrest on suspicion of murder was followed by his re-arrest on suspicion of terrorism-related offences, though the precise nature of any alleged extremist motivation has not been made public. Sources indicate that the investigation is continuing at pace, with detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East working alongside local officers to piece together the events that led to Widdecombe's death.

Spinney, the senior coroner, made no further comment on the case, confirming only that the inquest had been opened and adjourned pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings against Kerry. The 28-year-old suspect, who is understood to have been living in Rotherham prior to his arrest, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday, where he was formally charged with Widdecombe's murder. No details of any plea were entered during the preliminary hearing, and the case is expected to be committed to the Crown Court in due course.

The death of Widdecombe, a figure who commanded both admiration and fierce criticism throughout her long political career, has reignited debate about the security of public figures and the potential threats they may face. Having been a prominent eurosceptic voice during her time in Parliament and later a leading campaigner for Brexit, she remained an active presence in political life until her death, frequently appearing as a commentator on television and radio. The involvement of counter-terrorism police in the investigation, however, has led to speculation about the alleged motives of her accused killer, though the authorities have declined to comment on the specifics of the case while criminal proceedings are ongoing. The inquest will resume only after the conclusion of the trial, leaving the precise cause of Widdecombe's death – and the full circumstances of the tragedy – to be determined in due course.