LONDON — A man accused of murdering former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe attempted to breach the residence of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage roughly a year prior and conducted online research on other high‑profile individuals, prosecutors reported Wednesday.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik stated that Joshua Kerry’s digital devices contained evidence of “online reconnaissance” targeting prominent individuals and institutions from May 2024 up to the time Widdecombe’s death in July.
Kerry, 28, faces a single charge of preparing terrorist acts, including against Farage. He entered no plea at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and remains in custody.
Nigel Farage’s partner returned home on April 20 2025 to discover a damaged door frame, a bottle of lighter fluid, and other signs of a forced entry attempt, according to prosecutor Malik. Kerry’s DNA was later found on the container.
Electronic tracking data revealed Kerry traveled from his northern England residence to London, where his vehicle was parked outside Farage’s home for several hours before he departed.
The defendant, who is bearded and was dressed in glasses and a gray sweatsuit, briefly asked Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring to speak louder and to confirm his name and date of birth.
Goldspring transferred the case to the Central Criminal Court, scheduling a hearing for Friday.
The charge, announced last week, follows a month‑long counterterrorism investigation that was reopened after an alleged fire‑bomb attack on Farage’s south‑London residence.
Kerry had already been charged with murder for the July 8 beating death of Widdecombe, whose body was discovered in her isolated southwest England village home.
Widdecombe, 78, served as a Reform Party spokesperson following a distinguished career as a Conservative MP and government minister, renowned for her outspoken socially conservative stance against abortion and LGBTQ+ rights expansion.
She later gained public attention as a contestant on the reality programmes “Strictly Come Dancing” and “Celebrity Big Brother,” after which she returned to political activity.
Her murder has reignited concerns about politician safety, an area where security measures have been tightened over the past decade following the killings of two high‑profile MPs.
Labour MP Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far‑right extremist, and Conservative MP David Amess was fatally stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.
