Joshua Kerry charged with terrorism over Farage break-in attempt linked to Widdecombe murder

A man accused of killing Ann Widdecombe also allegedly tried to break into Nigel Farage's home and researched other prominent figures, prosecutors say.

Widdecombe murder suspect linked to attempted break-in at Farage's home

Joshua Kerry, the 28-year-old accused of murdering former politician Ann Widdecombe, also allegedly attempted to break into the home of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage roughly a year before her death, a prosecutor told Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

According to abcnews.com, prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that Kerry had left evidence on his digital devices showing he carried out "online reconnaissance" of well-known individuals and institutions between May 2024 and the date of Widdecombe's killing in July.

Kerry now faces one count of preparation of terrorist acts, including a plot against Farage. He entered no plea at Wednesday's hearing and remains in custody.

Malik told the court that Farage's partner returned home on 20 April 2025 to find part of a door frame hanging off, a bottle of lighter fluid nearby, and clear signs of an attempted forced entry. Kerry's DNA was detected on the flammable liquid container. Tracking data placed Kerry travelling from his home in northern England to London, with his vehicle parked outside Farage's property for several hours before he made the return journey.

During proceedings, the bearded defendant — wearing glasses and a grey sweatsuit — spoke only briefly, asking Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring to speak up and to confirm his own name and date of birth. Goldspring referred the case to the Central Criminal Court for a hearing on Friday.

The terrorism charge, announced last week, came approximately one month after counterterrorism police reopened an investigation into an alleged firebomb attempt at Farage's south London home.

Kerry had already been charged with the murder of Widdecombe, who was found dead on 8 July at her house in an isolated village in southwest England. She was 78. A long-serving Conservative MP and government minister, Widdecombe was known for her forthright socially conservative positions on issues including abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. In later years she gained a wider public profile through appearances on "Strictly Come Dancing" and "Celebrity Big Brother" before returning to politics as a spokesperson for the Reform Party.

Her killing has reignited debate over the security of elected representatives and public figures in the UK. That debate has been ongoing since the murders of two MPs in the past decade: Labour's Jo Cox, shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess, stabbed in 2021 by an attacker motivated by the Islamic State group.

Source: The Sun