Overview
- Prosecutors say the 78-year-old former Conservative MP was struck about 21 times with a hammer at her Haytor, Devon, home and was found dead the next day.
- Police allege 28-year-old Joshua Kerry drove from Rotherham to Haytor, entered the house, carried out the two‑minute attack and stole the victim’s purse before leaving.
- Kerry was arrested on July 11, charged with murder and remanded in custody, with a provisional trial date set for 8 June 2027 and preparatory hearings scheduled in October and November.
- A pathologist told the court the provisional cause of death was blunt‑force traumatic brain injury and prosecutors presented CCTV and forensic evidence in recent hearings.
- The decision to place the Southeast counter‑terror unit in charge reflects uncertainty over motive and has prompted tightened security for some politicians while detectives pursue hundreds of lines of inquiry.