The brutal murder of Ann Widdecombe was last night being treated as a suspected politically motivated terrorist attack.
In a dramatic escalation, counter terrorism officers yesterday took over the investigation into the killing of the former Tory minister. It came after the discovery of Russian communist literature and other items of political ideology at the home of the suspected killer.
And it marked a U-turn after the local force, Devon and Cornwall Police, spent days insisting that there was no link to terrorism. Officers, it is understood, are probing whether the 78-year-old may have been bludgeoned to death in a premeditated attack on Reform UK.
They are looking at whether a self-radicalised loner may have considered the pensioner an ‘easy target’ in comparison to more prominent party figures, such as Nigel Farage, who have security.
Last night, Reform accused Devon and Cornwall police of misleading the public in the initial stages of the investigation.
Senior officers were under pressure to explain why they so publicly ruled out terror or a political motivation.
When the bloodied body of the former prisons minister was found on Thursday morning, officers initially focused on a theory that she had disturbed a burglar at her home in Haytor, Dartmoor, even though nothing had been taken from the £600,000 property.
The murder of Ann Widdecombe, pictured on a TV show two weeks ago, was last night being treated as a suspected politically motivated terrorist attack
The suspect was captured on CCTV leaving his property shortly before 8am on Wednesday with what appears to be a pole in the pocket of his shorts
Two days after the murder, detectives arrested a local labourer in error, before later detaining a 28-year-old man 270 miles away in Rotherham on Saturday night. The Mail has learnt that items of varying political ideology, including Russian material, have been found at the suspect’s home and on electronic devices.
But investigators do not believe there is any evidence of hostile state involvement.
Counter terrorism police are investigating whether the ‘lone wolf’ targeted Ms Widdecombe due to her political views, which she frequently expressed during regular appearances on TV and radio defending Reform as the party’s immigration and justice spokesman. The former Strictly contestant was well known for her beliefs, including opposition to abortion and gay rights.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed yesterday that the British white suspect, who the Mail is not naming, was not known to the Government’s deradicalisation programme, Prevent. Police are making inquiries about his mental health.
Officers believe the murder on Wednesday may have been premeditated. The accused is not thought to have known the victim, whose home had featured on a TV programme broadcast just days before her death.
The unmarried former MP, who has lived alone since her retirement in 2010, was last seen on a Talk TV show around 8am on Wednesday.
She had been scheduled to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show that afternoon but suddenly stopped responding to WhatsApp exchanges with a producer.
Counter terrorism police are investigating whether the ‘lone wolf’ targeted Ms Widdecombe due to her political views
Footage shows a group of armed officers descending on the suspect’s property in Rotherham on Saturday
Police believe she was attacked at around 12.30pm, nearly 24 hours before she was found by her gardener.
Devon and Cornwall Police waited more than 24 hours to announce a murder investigation, before Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said on Friday night: ‘The incident is not being treated as terrorism.’
When asked if Ms Widdecombe had been targeted because of her politics, he replied: ‘No… it’s early stages of the investigation. I’ve got no information to believe that it is a politically motivated crime.’
The suspect was later arrested at his home in Rotherham at 9pm on Saturday after police traced a car allegedly parked on the victim’s drive during the attack. CCTV from early on Wednesday showed a figure leaving the Rotherham address, appearing to carry a wooden stick in his shorts pocket.
As the force announced Saturday’s arrest, Mr Longman again denied any suggestion of a political motive. He said: ‘There is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident. At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it was politically motivated.’
Forensic officers were seen heading into the house in Rotherham after the arrest on Saturday
Yesterday the probe was taken over by Counterterrorism Policing South East which announced the suspect had been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Reform UK board member Gawain Towler criticised the police, saying: ‘In the past, they’d have said all avenues of investigation are open but this time they tried to close out avenues of the investigation. In a time when trust in the police is at an all-time low, this just plays into that they are trying to massage public opinion.’
The killing has reignited fears about MPs’ safety following the murders of David Amess and Jo Cox.
The suspect, who remains in custody, was the son of a teaching assistant. Relatives said he had become reclusive after the sudden death of his engineer father last year.
Additional reporting: Nick Craven, James Tozer and Ryan Hooper
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