Asked whether the police investigation was looking at whether the suspect was targeting “other Reform politicians”, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor today said ‘That will be a line of inquiry’
Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her home in Devon last Thursday(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Counter-terror police are investigating whether the prime suspect in Ann Widdecombe’s killing plotted attacks on other political figures.
The 28-year-old White British man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is still being quizzed tonight on suspicion of murdering the former Cabinet Minister at her home – three days after armed police swooped on his mid-terrace house in Rotherham, South Yorks, some 270 miles away.
Asked whether the police investigation was looking at whether the suspect was targeting “other Reform politicians”, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor today said: “So clearly, part of our responsibility when investigating offences of this nature is to assure ourselves and therefore the public and others of any extent of threat.
“That will form a line of investigation to ensure that we are putting all appropriate measures in place to mitigate any threat, should it become apparent. I’m not saying there is or there isn’t at this stage. Of course that will be a line of inquiry.”
Mr Taylor admitted police are still trying to understand the motive for the attack and conceded he cannot rule out foreign state involvement. He said: “It is clear that this was a targeted attack.
“We are still working to understand the extent of any planning or preparation, and the motivation that sits behind that attack. I wouldn’t want to comment on what that motivation was.
“In terms of the preparation and planning, we are aware that there has been some preparation and planning. I don’t want to go into the details of the extent of that at this stage.”
The man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday before being re-arrested on Monday accused of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Specialist terror officers had previously been working alongside detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police ’s Major Crime Investigation Team since a murder investigation was launched last week.
Counter-terrorism police have been leading the investigation into the former Tory MP’s death since new evidence came to light on Monday, but Mr Taylor stressed the murder and terror investigations are currently working “in parallel”.
He and his team were today granted a warrant of further detention meaning the suspect can now be held for questioning for up to seven days under the Terrorism Act. If approved, they could continue to hold him without charge for up to 14 days under the Terrorism Act. Mr Taylor said: “There are multiple lines of inquiry that we are pursuing expeditiously, and that includes a number of digital forensic examinations.”
Ms Widdecombe, who was aged 78, was found dead in her home in Haytor, Devon, last Thursday. The veteran politician, lately a spokeswoman for Reform UK, is believed to have lain dead in her kitchen for 24 hours after she sustained serious injuries in the isolated cottage where she lived with her cat last Wednesday.
Detectives have been examining CCTV appearing to show her alleged killer putting a wooden stick in the back of a filthy and moss-covered red Vauxhall Corsa on the same day. Neighbours have described him as a loner who became increasingly reclusive after the death of his father last December. But Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the House of Commons on Monday the suspect was not known to the Government anti-extremism scheme Prevent.
Mr Taylor today appeared to choose his words carefully after Devon & Cornwall Police Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman received criticism after previously telling reporters earlier this week that at the time officers had not found any evidence Ms Widdecombe’s death was politically motivated or terror-related.
Devon Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, today defended the force. She said: “There’s been some commentary about the way Devon and Cornwall police have communicated during the early stages of this case but, as the Home Secretary said yesterday, it is not unusual that in a fast-paced investigation, more information comes to light that changes the nature or the character of what the police are dealing with.
“Since the beginning of this investigation, I have been briefed by the Chief Constable regularly, and I am confident that Devon and Cornwall Police has provided a substantial and professional response to Ann Widdecombe’s death. I am particularly grateful to members of the public, who have provided information and assisted officers in progressing the investigation.”
She added: “When I visited the scene on Sunday, I was impressed by the efforts being made by the police to speak to residents and address their very understandable concerns.”
Police believe Ms Widdecombe died last Wednesday at about 12.30pm, shortly before she had been due on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show, via video call from home. She had last messaged a producer at 12.19pm, but failed to respond to a text at 12.48pm.
It also emerged yesterday that she had also finished recording another interview, during which she defended Nigel Farage, just minutes before she died. She did the ten-minute pre-recorded interview with Christian radio station TWR-UK, via zoom, logging on at 11.54am before the call ended at around 12.10pm – just 20 minutes before police believe she was killed.
Defending the Reform UK leader, who is facing a probe by the Standards Committee over a £5million payment he received from a Thai-based crypto billionaire, Ms Widdecombe, 78, claimed Farage was a victim of “the politics of personal destruction”. She said: “He probably thinks, where is this going to end?
“Let’s bring an end to it, let’s bring this to a head, let’s put it to the people to see what they think of all of this. There has been a game now for a very long time, a game of personal destruction, not just for Nigel, for lots and lots of politicians that face this.”
Interviewer Mr Maidment Fullard, has now contacted police and told them about the tape, but they have not asked to see or hear the interview. He said: “When I spoke to her off-air, she was always incredibly kind and compassionate.”
Asked how he felt when he heard at around 6.30am on Friday that Ms Widdecombe had died, Mr Maidment Fullard said: “I was looking at my phone when the alert came in. I just remember staring at the alert thinking that there’d been some kind of mistake. And then as the story developed and the timeline became clearer, I was just deeply saddened by it. I’m just still trying to come to terms with it all.”
He added: “Just before I pressed record on that interview that you’ve just heard a clip from, she asked me how my family was. And that part of her character just gave me the impression that she cared deeply about whoever it was that she was speaking to.”
“She was robust. She was lively. She knew her topic incredibly well. And on top of all of that, she was able to express her opinion in a way that just made her really compelling to listen to. When she was live, she was a passionate interviewee.
“I think what struck me over the years was how readily she engaged with us. If we asked her to comment on a story, it was rare that she would turn us down. And throughout my career, I’ve interviewed her on a whole range of issues.”
Police and politicians have asked the public not to speculate about the case on social media. Mr Taylor today added: “It is important to remember that this is a murder investigation following a brutal attack on a 78-year-old lady in her home.”
