Widdecombe Killer Charged in Farage Terror Plot

The man already facing a murder charge over the killing of former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe has been formally charged with preparing acts of terrorism, including against Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Joshua Kerry, 28, of Byrley Road in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was charged on Friday with one count of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006. The charge covers alleged activity between 31 May 2024 and 8 July 2026, Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed.

Kerry is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 7 October. He was charged in July with the murder of the 78-year-old, who was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on 9 July.

Prosecutors have previously told a court that she was attacked the day before while eating lunch: struck 21 times on the head with a hammer in an assault lasting around two minutes that was captured on home security cameras. The attacker is alleged to have entered through the front door, tipped her from her chair, taken her wallet and left. A provisional cause of death was given as blunt force injury to the head.

Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, described the latest charge as the product of a “hugely intensive and complex investigation”. “We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time,” she said. “The charge announced today is a result of the tireless work of investigators across the Counter Terrorism Policing network. This investigation has been led by a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts, working on multiple lines of enquiry, which has resulted in this very serious charge.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Kerry was first arrested on 11 July in Rotherham — nearly 300 miles from the scene — on suspicion of murder. Two days later he was re-arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

Forensic examination of devices and other evidence led counter-terrorism officers to take over the inquiry from local police. Prosecutors have previously noted that inquiries into his motives, including any political or terrorist connection, remained ongoing at the time of the murder charge.

The terrorism investigation has also examined possible links to an earlier incident at a London property associated with Farage. In early 2025 an incendiary device was pushed through the letterbox in what Farage described as an “outright arson attempt”. The episode was initially treated as an attempted burglary, but counter-terrorism officers later reopened the matter and explored a potential connection to Kerry. Farage has publicly indicated that the Widdecombe killing and the firebombing were linked, though further details remain restricted by the ongoing legal process.

Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years and held ministerial posts in John Major’s government. After leaving the Commons she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and later became a Reform UK spokeswoman. Her death prompted tributes from across the political spectrum and an investigation that quickly shifted from a local murder inquiry to a national counter-terrorism case.

Kerry remains in custody. The murder case has a provisional trial date in June 2027. Both sets of proceedings will continue to be handled with the high level of scrutiny that accompanies allegations of politically motivated violence.