UK politician Ann Widdecombe was struck 21 times with a hammer, court hears

(CNN) — Ann Widdecombe, the former British lawmaker found dead at her home in southwest England in early July, was hit 21 times with a hammer, a London court heard on Tuesday.

Joshua Kerry, 28, allegedly entered Widdecombe’s house in the village of Haytor Vale on July 8, Prosecutor Kashif Malik told Westminster Magistrates’ Court, according to UK news agency PA Media.

He then allegedly walked into the 78-year-old politician’s kitchen wielding a hammer and repeatedly struck her head while she was eating lunch, the court heard.

He was only in her home for two minutes, the court heard.

Widdecombe’s provisional cause of death was described in court as a “blunt force injury to the head.”

Kerry then appeared at London’s Old Bailey criminal court, where he was denied bail and remanded in custody. A case management hearing is scheduled for October 9, and a provisional trial date is set for 8 June 2027.

British counterterrorism police took over the investigation into Widdecombe’s killing on July 13, after officers initially stated there was no information to suggest her death was an act of terrorism.

Her death came against a backdrop of increased violence and heightened threat against lawmakers in Britain. She is the third Member of Parliament to have been killed in recent years, following Sir David Amess and Jo Cox.

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