Ann Widdecombe death cause remains unconfirmed after an inquest opened into the former MP’s death at her Devon home.
The cause of Ann Widdecombe death is still not known after an inquest into the former MP’s death opened in Exeter, where the hearing was told she was found with visible injuries at her home in Devon on 9 July.
Senior coroner Philip Spinney said a post-mortem examination had already taken place, but the precise medical cause of death had not yet been established. The inquest was then adjourned until the criminal proceedings are finished.
Widdecombe, 78, was found unresponsive by an employee who had gone to her home for a welfare check after she had become uncontactable, the hearing heard. Emergency services were called, but she was pronounced dead at 12:20 BST on Thursday, 9 July.
Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham in South Yorkshire, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with her murder. He was first arrested on suspicion of murder two days after Widdecombe was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, Devon. He was later arrested again on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing South East with support from Devon and Cornwall Police. Widdecombe served as Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years, held ministerial posts in Sir John Major’s government in the 1990s, and later became a familiar public figure through Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother before representing South West England in the European Parliament. She joined Reform UK as a party spokeswoman in 2023. The key point for the public is that the cause of death is still not settled while the criminal case moves forward.
