LONDON – A 28-year-old man accused of murdering former British politician Ann Widdecombe allegedly attempted to break into the home of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage more than a year before the killing, prosecutors revealed in court on Wednesday.
Joshua Kerry appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to face a charge of preparation of terrorist acts, an accusation that includes an alleged attempt to target Farage. Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that forensic evidence and digital tracking data linked Kerry to a suspected firebombing attempt at Farage’s south London property in April 2025.
According to prosecutors, Farage’s partner returned home on April 20, 2025, to discover the door frame damaged and a bottle of lighter fluid left at the scene. Investigators later detected Kerry’s DNA on the container. Tracking data from his vehicle subsequently placed him near the Reform UK leader’s home for several hours before he returned to his residence in northern England.
Malik alleged that the incident was part of a broader pattern of behavior. Digital evidence seized from Kerry’s devices indicated that he had been conducting “online reconnaissance” of various high-profile figures and national institutions between May 2024 and the death of Widdecombe in July 2025.
Kerry, who wore a gray sweatsuit and glasses, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth during the brief hearing. He did not enter a plea, and Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring ordered him to remain in custody before transferring the case to the Central Criminal Court, where he is due for a further hearing on Friday.
The terrorism charge is the latest development in a high-profile legal case that has rattled the British political establishment. Kerry is already facing a separate murder charge for the July 8, 2025, killing of Ann Widdecombe, the 78-year-old former Conservative member of Parliament who had become a prominent spokesperson for the Reform Party. Widdecombe was found dead in her home in an isolated village in southwest England. Known for her staunchly conservative views and later career in reality television, her death has prompted a somber national conversation regarding the safety of public servants.
The string of events has reignited fears regarding the security of UK politicians, a concern that has intensified over the past decade following the murders of two sitting MPs: Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, who was assassinated by a far-right extremist in 2016, and Conservative David Amess, who was killed by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group in 2021.
Authorities have confirmed that counterterrorism police reopened a formal investigation into the alleged firebombing attempt at Farage’s home just one month prior to the new charge being filed. As the legal proceedings against Kerry move to the Central Criminal Court, the scope of his alleged activities remains a primary focus for investigators.
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