LONDON: A 28-year-old man already charged with the murder of one politician, has been charged with preparing acts of terrorism, including against hard-right leader Nigel Farage, British police announced Friday.
Police said Joshua Kerry had been charged with one count of preparing acts of terrorism for actions allegedly carried out between May 31, 2024 and July 8, 2026.
In July, Kerry was charged with the murder of former MP and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her home at the age of 78.
On Friday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, said of the fresh charge: “We have been running a hugely intensive and complex investigation for some time...
“This investigation has been led by a dedicated team of detectives, analysts, and forensic experts, working on multiple lines of enquiry, which has resulted in this very serious charge,” she added.
Kerry is due to appear in a London magistrates’ court on October 7, the police statement added.
BREAKING: 28-year-old man charged with preparing acts of terror against Nigel Farage MP.https://t.co/tPnWDCHRSV📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/9g40taWWqU
He was originally on July 11, two days after the murder of Widdecombe, who was a veteran Conservative Party MP before joining Reform.
In July Kashif Malik, the prosecutor handling that case told a court that the suspect had allegedly used a hammer to hit Widdecombe on the top of her head 21 times.
The former lawmaker had been eating lunch when he walked through her front door and attacked her, after having driven from his home in Rotherham, northern England, some 300 miles (500 kilometers) away, Malik argued.
Widdecombe’s gardener found her body lying face down on her kitchen floor.
A provisional cause of death was given as a “blunt force injury to the head”, said Malik.
The murder of the high-profile 78-year-old sparked strong reactions from politicians, including Reform MPs who have called for improved security for lawmakers.
Widdecombe is the third UK politician murdered in an attack this decade.
Labour Party MP Jo Cox was murdered in 2016 by a neo-Nazi sympathizer and Conservative lawmaker David Amess was killed in 2021 by an Daesh group follower.
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