British politician and pro-life advocate Ann Widdecombe was assassinated in her home in Devon, England, earlier this month.
Joshua Kerry, the apparent leftist accused of slaying the 78-year-old Reform U.K. immigration spokeswoman, was formally charged with murder on Monday.
'I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-left activist.'
"We have decided to prosecute Joshua Kerry for murder following a police investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe in Haytor, Dartmoor," Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said in a statement. "Police enquiries into the defendant's motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection."
Ferguson noted further that prosecutors had "worked closely with the police to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court."
The evidence presented in court on Tuesday — where Kerry was in attendance and told not to enter a plea — provided some horrific insights into the assassination.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that the savage attack was captured by a camera inside the kitchen where Widdecombe's lifeless body was discovered by her gardener the next day, reported Reuters.
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Hugh Hastings/Getty Images
Kerry is allegedly seen in the video entering Widdecombe's home wearing black gloves and armed with a hammer while the Reform U.K. politician was eating lunch. He then allegedly asked her, "Don't suppose you have bank cards and ID?"
According to Malik, the suspect proceeded to strike Widdecombe atop the head 21 times. After caving in the Christian politician's skull, the assassin pushed his victim out of her chair and onto the floor, stole her wallet, then fled the scene, Malik alleged.
Kerry was arrested on July 10 on suspicion of murder in what was initially figured for a burglary gone wrong. He was cut loose the next day only to be rearrested hours later at his home in Rotherham, this time by Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police on suspicion of murder and the "commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism."
Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, subsequently acknowledged that the investigation had turned up "new information and evidence" pointing to the murder having been a "targeted attack."
A source told the Sun (U.K.) that in their search of Kerry's house, they found clippings of news articles about Reform U.K., its leader Nigel Farage, and the party's immigration policies.
"It would appear he had a profound dislike of the party, its leader, and its policies," said the source.
In addition to seizing Kerry's electronic devices, police also seized a red Vauxhall Corsa linked to him. The court heard on Tuesday that the man who arrived at Widdecombe's property on July 8 drove up in a red Vauxhall Corsa.
Kerry was reportedly caught on CCTV leaving his Rotherham residence, approximately 270 miles away from Widdecombe's house, early on the day of the murder in the red car.
Nigel Farage noted in an article for the Sun on Saturday, "Surprise, surprise, he wasn’t some local opportunistic thief."
"I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-left activist," wrote Farage. "He attended various marches and hated anyone with an opposing view. He had expressed his hatred of me on more than one occasion. He was an intolerant individual obsessed with Soviet communism. He may also have been known to the authorities."
Reform U.K. spokesman Zia Yusuf joined Farage on Tuesday in blasting the British media for its apparent disinterest in Kerry's background and politics.
"Our beloved Ann was hit on the head 21 times with a hammer by her alleged killer. Why do we still know so little about him? Why do we still know so little about his politics?" wrote Yusuf. "We all know why."
"The details of Ann Widdecombe’s murder revealed in court are horrific. Why will no one report on Joshua Kerry’s political views?" tweeted Farage.
Kerry's alleged crimes were deemed "too serious" for the Westminster Magistrate's Court, where he appeared Tuesday morning, so the matter has been sent to the Old Bailey, where he is due to appear later in the day.
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