The ‘abject terror’ Ann Widdecombe must have endured in her final minutes has troubled her family more than anything in the wake of her brutal murder.
There was almost certainly a moment when she came face-to-face with her killer, and what ensued to leave her dying in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor doesn’t bear thinking about.
As police rush to piece together precisely what happened on Wednesday afternoon, with their suspicion currently falling on a 28-year-old from Rotherham, we reveal all there is to know about Ms Widdecombe’s final hours – and their fallout.
Despite officially retiring from national politics in 2010, Ms Widdecombe never strayed far from the conversation. She was a key spokesperson for Reform UK until her death and made regular media appearances.
Indeed, she had two broadcast slots arranged for the Wednesday of last week – one with TalkTV in the morning, and a second with Channel 5 News in the early afternoon.
She was her usual, emphatic self during her appearance just after 8am, giving presenter Mark Dolan her reaction to Nigel Farage’s resignation as an MP and the impending by-election in Clacton.
Speaking on a video stream from her home in Haytor, Devon, backdropped by a well-stocked bookcase, the 78-year-old said she was ‘delighted’ by Mr Farage’s move, and insisted a convincing win would stop the establishment ‘hounding’ him over finances.
While Ms Widdecombe at this time sensed nothing wrong, locals elsewhere in the village were alarmed to notice something ‘out of the ordinary’.
Ann Widdecombe was murdered in her home on Wednesday last week, and her body discovered 24 hours later
The veteran politician was killed in her bungalow in Haytor, Devon, where she had lived for 18 years
The manager of a garage in Haytor alerted police at around 9am after his colleague spotted a dark VW Golf Mk4 parked a ‘strange place’, near Ms Widdecombe’s home.
He said: ‘[The Golf] was at the top of the lane near Ann’s place. If it was a local they would have parked in the car park or one of the lay–bys.
‘He was doing up his walking boots. He was in his late 20s, maybe early 30s. He was wearing shorts and a T–shirt. I remember thinking “Why is he parked there?” He was halfway out the lay–by.
‘It didn’t look like he fitted in. You don’t see many late 20s, early 30s men around here. He was heading up in that direction [of Ann’s house].’
Officers asked the garage to provide CCTV of the vehicle, but it reportedly did not have any.
Mr Farage later claimed that a suspicious car had also been seen on Ms Widdecombe’s driveway – though police have not confirmed this.
Back in Ms Widdecombe’s bungalow, she was preparing for her Channel 5 News interview.
For five minutes from 12:14pm, she was responding swiftly to WhatsApp messages from one of the programme’s researchers, who was setting her up with a Zoom link.
She joked about old age being a ‘terrible thing’, before sending her last known message reading: ‘Received! Panic over!!’
Police believe it was in the next few minutes that the killer struck – at some time around 12:30pm.
It’s understood they are considering the possibility that Ms Widdecombe interrupted an intruder who had entered her house, though there has been no confirmation of the circumstances.
At 12:48pm, the Channel 5 researcher texted Ms Widdecombe to ask her to join the Zoom meeting in preparation for her live appearance – but got no response.
The WhatsApp double tick never turned blue, meaning that Ms Widdecombe did not open the message.
Police have therefore identiedoff the assumption that she died some time between 12:19pm and 12:48pm
Multiple follow-up calls went unanswered, and it became clear to the programme that Ms Widdecombe would not be joining them – though they remained oblivious to the tragic reason why.
Presenter Matt Allwright addressed her absence on-air, saying: ‘She didn’t turn up, unfortunately. But we look forward to talking to you on some other occasion, Ann.’
It wasn’t until seven hours later that the show alerted Ms Widdecombe’s agent about her unexplained no-show.
By Thursday morning, one of the politician’s friends had become concerned after they too were unable to reach her.
Then, at 11:40am, her gardener made the gut-wrenching discovery.
Ms Widdecombe was dead on the floor of her kitchen, having suffered what police described as ‘serious injuries’.
Ms Widdecombe appeared on TalkTV on Wednesday just hours before her death
This is the text conversation Ms Widdecombe had with a Channel 5 News researcher, believed to span the moment she was killed
Early the next morning, Ms Widdecombe’s agent shared the news of her death with the media, but made no mention of the circumstances.
Over the course of the day, however, reports emerged that made the nation’s blood run cold.
First it was revealed that police were investigating the circumstances of her death, then that it was a murder probe, and finally the deeply disturbing details about Ms Widdecombe’s injuries.
In a delayed press conference, Devon and Cornwall police revealed just before 6pm on Friday that a 26-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of murder.
By 6:30am on Saturday, however, they said he had been released and removed from the investigation, restarting the manhunt.
Late on Saturday evening, the force said a 28-year-old man had been arrested in South Yorkshire – 270 miles from Ms Widdecombe’s home.
We now know he was a white British national from Rotherham, and was arrested at around 9pm.
An obvious question hanging over the murder of a high-profile former minister is whether it was politically motivated.
Devon and Cornwall police have pleaded with the public not to speculate – and have repeatedly stressed there is no evidence to suggest that it was.
Nigel Farage visited her property to pay his respects, though this is said to have made Ms Widdecombe’s family ‘very uneasy’
A police presence and cordon remains in place at the property – and will do for some days
If the killer was driven by politics, then the murder would be classed as an act of terror.
A well-placed source told the Mail on Sunday that Ms Widdecombe’s family ‘don’t want her death hijacked for political purposes’, adding that they were ‘very uneasy’ about Mr Farage visiting the scene.
When asked what message he had for her killer, Mr Farage said: ‘There are no words that I can utter that somebody who’s committed this act of barbarity against an innocent 78-year-old lady who wouldn’t harm a fly.
‘I just hope that the killer is caught as quickly as possible and brought to justice, that’s all I can say.
‘Even though we don’t know what the motive is, in a town there is so much ANPR and CCTV that generally these days people are caught pretty quick, but look around you.’
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman of Devon and Cornwall Police said on Sunday morning: ‘Shortly after 9pm on Saturday 11 July, a 28-year-old white British man was arrested at an address in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, on suspicion of the murder of Miss Widdecombe.
‘We were supported by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North East and South Yorkshire Police who carried out the arrest on behalf of Devon & Cornwall Police.
‘Miss Widdecombe’s family have been informed of the update and continue to be supported by specialist officers. Our thoughts remain with her friends and family at what is a very difficult time.
‘At this time, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism related incident. And at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the murder.
‘We retain primacy of this investigation and Detectives remain open minded about any potential motive, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest that it was politically motivated.’
