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British police charged a suspect Monday for the brutal murder of conservative activist Ann Widdecombe.
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old British man, was charged with murder after spending a week in police custody. British Member of Parliament Nigel Farage, a close friend and ally of Widdecombe's, wrote after the police announcement that Kerry was an "intolerant individual obsessed with Soviet communism."
Widdecombe was found in her home July 9, a day after she was attacked and died from a gruesome head wound. Officials declared the murder a "targeted attack" several days later.
Kerry appeared before the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, July 21.
Kerry allegedly entered Widdecombe's home through the front door while the elderly woman was eating lunch, the court heard. After asking her for "bank cards and ID," Kerry smashed Widdecombe on the head 21 times with a hammer, The Independent reported.
Kerry was arrested July 11 in South Yorkshire county, more than 250 miles from Widdecombe's Devon home. (RELATED: Plucky Village Declares Independence To Avoid Being Overrun By Male Migrants)
"I have it on good authority that the murder suspect was a hard-Left activist," Farage wrote in a Monday opinion article on The Sun. "He attended various marches and hated anyone with an opposing view. He had expressed his hatred of me on more than one occasion."
"I want to make it very clear that our investigation into this individual, determining his motivations and any wider activity he may have been involved in is continuing," head of counter-terrorism police Laurence Taylor said in a statement reported by The Associated Press.
Police reported that over 800 lines of inquiry were opened in the investigation. "Given Ann Widdecombe's profile and the targeted nature of the attack, determining the motivation, including any possible political motivation, remains an active avenue of investigation for our detectives, and as with all murder investigations, understanding the why is a key part of our inquiries," Taylor said.
While British police had initially declined to characterize Widdecombe's murder as a targeted attack, Farage wrote that he "travelled to [Widdecombe's] home in Devon to pay" his "respects" and told the assembled media that even in the early stage he believed it was a obviously "a premeditated murder." (RELATED: US' Best Pal Picks Died-In-Wool Socialist To Replace Deeply Unpopular Leader)
"[Taylor] revealed that officers had uncovered clear evidence of planning and preparation," Farage continued. "It was premeditated. And it was targeted."
Widdecombe was an outspoken former Conservative Party cabinet minister and a spokeswoman for Farage's Reform UK party. She was known for her strong Christian faith. As Farage wrote, "She fought for Brexit when it was unfashionable, defended Christian values, championed animal welfare and stood up for victims of crime."
Kerry will appear before the Westminster court for a case management hearing on Oct. 9, with an additional trial preparation hearing in November, according to The Independent.
A provisional trial date is listed for June 8, 2027.
