Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Police Arrest 26-Year-Old Man Over Ann Widdecombe's Death, Rule Out Terror Motive

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

Police Arrest 26-Year-Old Man Over Ann Widdecombe's Death, Rule Out Terror Motive

Q: With politics ruled out, was Ann Widdecombe's killer a complete stranger or someone she knew and trusted?

It is not known. Police have ruled out, for now, any evidence that Ann Widdecombe’s death was politically motivated, but they have not said whether the 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder was a stranger or someone known to her. That is the key unanswered point in the case. Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said detectives remain “open-minded” and specifically declined to say whether the suspect was known to Widdecombe. Investigators have also urged the public not to speculate, warning that doing so could harm the inquiry and add to the family’s distress. What is public so far is limited. Widdecombe, 78, was found with serious injuries at her rural home in Haytor, Devon, after emergency services were called at about 11:40 BST on July 9. A 26-year-old white British man was arrested the following day in Newton Abbot and remains in custody. Counter-terrorism officers made initial checks, but police say the case is not being treated as terrorism and there is no current information suggesting a political motive. The rural setting, the appeal for CCTV, doorbell and dashcam footage, and ongoing forensic work all indicate detectives are still piecing together the suspect’s movements and any connection to the victim. Until police disclose more, there is no verified basis to say whether this was an attack by a complete stranger or by someone Widdecombe knew and trusted.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 10

A 26-year-old white British man was arrested in Newton Abbot on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe and remains in custody, Devon and Cornwall Police said Friday.
Widdecombe, 78, was found with serious injuries at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at about 11:40 BST on Thursday after police were called by the ambulance service.
Counter-terror officers joined initial enquiries, but police said the case is not being treated as terrorism and they have no information suggesting a political motive.
Forensic work and door-to-door inquiries are continuing around the rural property, with officers seeking CCTV, dashcam and witness evidence from the Haytor area.
Political leaders including Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage said they were shocked by the death of the former Conservative minister, ex-MEP and Reform UK spokesperson.