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Ann Widdecombe’s cause of death has not been established, a coroner has said.
Philip Spinney, a senior coroner, told an inquest into the killing of the former Tory MP that a post-mortem examination had taken place but was yet to determine a cause of death.
The inquest, at Exeter coroner’s court, was suspended on Tuesday “until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings”.
Miss Widdecombe, who defected to the Brexit Party in 2019 and later joined Reform UK, was found at her home in Haytor, Devon, at around 11.40am on July 9 after sustaining serious injuries.
Police believe the Reform spokesman for immigration and justice was murdered nearly 24 hours earlier.
Joshua Kerry, a 28-year-old admin worker, was arrested at his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, two days after her body was discovered. He is expected to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Tuesday after being charged with Miss Widdecombe’s murder on Monday.
A statement from Sarah Hayworth, coroner’s officer, read to the inquest, said: “Miss Widdecombe was pronounced dead at Widdecombe’s Rest, Haytor in Devon, on July 9 at 12.20pm.
“Concerns were raised that Miss Widdecombe was uncontactable, so an employee who was due at the address was asked to conduct a welfare check. She was found to be unresponsive, and with visible injuries. She was sadly declared dead at the scene.
“A post-mortem examination has taken place. At this stage, the precise medical cause of death has not yet been established.”
Mr Spinney said Miss Widdecombe was “much loved and will be greatly missed”, offering his condolences to the 78-year-old’s family.
Frank Ferguson, the chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosection Service’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, announced the decision to prosecute Mr Kerry on Monday evening, adding that police were still investigating a potential political or terrorist motive.
Counter-terror police took over the investigation into Miss Widdecombe’s death on the fourth day of inquiries.
Asst Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the head of National Counter-Terrorism Policing, said later on Monday that any “possible political motivation” remained an “active avenue of investigation”.
He said the investigation had been “particularly intensive and complex”, with more than 800 lines of inquiry identified so far.
‘Just a normal lad’
Neighbours and relatives told The Telegraph that Mr Kerry lived alone at the property in the suburb of Kimberworth, around 270 miles from Miss Widdecombe’s home, after the recent death of his father Paul Yates.
Following his arrest, a relative described him as shy and a “quiet boy” who had never been remotely violent. They added that he was “just a normal lad”. An aunt of the suspect said: “His arrest is a massive shock for the family.”
Fears over Miss Widdecombe’s welfare were raised on July 8 after she failed to attend a pre-arranged Channel 5 interview at 12.50pm.
The production team attempted to contact Miss Widdecombe through her personal assistant, who then asked the gardener to check on her. When they went to the house, they found the front door open and propped with the doorstop. They then discovered her body lying face down on the kitchen floor with a serious head injury.
Miss Widdecombe was a Tory MP between 1987 and 2010, serving as the shadow home secretary under Lord Hague.
