TalkTV presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer has hit out at the Cornwall & Devon Police force following the latest grisly updates surrounding Ann Widdecombe’s death. The former MP was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor, Devon, on July 9, having suffered “visible injuries”, a brief hearing at Exeter Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday (July 21). Prosecutors later told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the politician was hit on the head with a hammer 21 times at her home on July 8.
She was found by her gardener lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury, the court was told. Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court over the death of the Reform UK minister.
On Wednesday (July 22), the 58-year-old broadcaster welcomed commentator Benedict Spence onto the show to discuss the latest development in the case. She began: “We’ve got to talk about what the hell is going on with the police. Because the police initially said that they were investigating whether or not she’d had a fall and whether it was an accident or a burglary gone wrong.
“The idea that anyone thought that finding a woman on the floor of her kitchen with a half-eaten lunch with her head having been hit by a hammer 21 times, that it might have been a fall [is preposterous]. How incompetent are they? Were they lying to us, or are they really that stupid?”
Mr Spence agreed: “That’s the problem, and it almost doesn’t matter which, because either is horrific. Given the conversations that we’ve had about two-tier justice, whenever you are confronted with crimes such as these – and they are becoming more and more common – and the response from the police, you are left with almost no other alternative other than to say the idiocy is informed by the bias.
“It is not exclusive. There is no question at all that in an increasing number of circumstances, police officers are being confronted with awful crimes, and rather than go on instinct, they go, ‘Hang on a second. How might this play if we say the wrong thing’, and that I think is deeply concerning for so many people.
“Because if you have police officers engaging in that form of double-think before they even proceed with what is their job, they’re already thinking, ‘How do we spin this? How do we respond to it? What’s the response going to be?’, then they’re not doing their jobs, they can’t be doing their jobs.
“The way in which so many people respond to this by saying, ‘Do not politicise this!’ given that she was a member of the Reform party, which was coming at the tail end of a number of weeks in which the security of MPs and politicians was at the forefront. But those same people were saying, ‘Nah, Reform are just bent, they’re just trying to deflect’, but then the second something dreadful happens, they go, ‘Absolutely, do not politicise this’ is ridiculous.”
TalkTV ground to a halt minutes into their evening show to issue the latest update in the investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe. The Reform UK politician was found dead in her Devon home on July 9, sparking a nationwide manhunt for her suspected killer. Police determined that the 78-year-old politician died 24 hours earlier on July 8 after suffering serious injuries.
On July 11, officers announced that a 28-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of murder in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Now, assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor has issued a fresh update on the case after they announced that the man, Joshua Kerry, has been charged with her murder.
On Monday (July 20), host Kevin O’Sullivan announced that charges have been issued to Ms Widdecombe’s alleged killer. He began: “Welcome back, and here’s some breaking news. A man has been charged with the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
“Police said that Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, has now been charged with Ms Widdecombe’s murder.” The broadcaster they shared a clip of the police commissioner as he revealed officers are exploring 800 lines of enquiry into her death. He announced: “This has been and remains a particularly intensive and complex investigation.
“Over the last week, our teams have gathered a huge amount of information, leading to 800 lines of enquiries. Each of those needs to be assessed carefully and thoroughly, and I ask that we be given the time to do that.” After the clip aired, Kevin explained that details of the case would be limited while “the justice system takes its course.”
It comes after the police were granted another seven days to question their prime suspect. This is essential in counter-terrorism cases because so many different potential strands of the investigation will need to be explored.
Concerns about Widdecombe’s welfare were first raised when she failed to appear on Matt Allwright’s show on July 8. ITV News reported Widdecombe had spoken to a researcher on the Channel 5 show on the same day to set up an interview, with the pair exchanging messages just after 12pm.
Her last message was received at 12.19pm on July 8. The researcher messaged again at 12:48p.m., requesting that she join the Zoom link in preparation for the interview, but Widdecombe did not reply. Subsequent voice calls and messages went unanswered.
Her body was found “covered in blood” nearly 24 hours later. Kerry was originally detained on suspicion of murder on July 11 before being re-arrested two days later on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.