Joshua Kerry, 28, attacked Widdecombe while she was eating lunch at her home in Devon before stealing her wallet, prosecutors say.

Ann Widdecombe was hit on the head with a hammer 21 times at her home as she ate lunch in an attack that was caught on camera, prosecutors have told Westminster Magistrates' Court. Prosecutor Kashif Malik said the man charged with her murder, Joshua Kerry, arrived at her house on 8 July in a red Vauxhall Corsa and entered through the front door. Kerry, who prosecutors say was in the property for two minutes and was wearing black gloves, then allegedly hit Widdecombe repeatedly with a hammer in her kitchen, tipped her from her chair and took her wallet before driving off. The 28-year-old from South Yorkshire later also appeared at the Old Bailey and was remanded in custody. At the Old Bailey hearing, prosecutor Alistair Richardson said the attack on Widdecombe had been carried out with a "ferocity of violence". Malik told the court that Widdecombe did not attend a pre-arranged online interview with Channel 5's Matt Allwright show that had been scheduled for just before 13:00 BST on 8 July. The show's production team tried to contact Widdecombe through her personal assistant, who then asked Widdecombe's gardener to check on her, the court heard. Prosecutors said the gardener entered the house via the open front door on 9 July and found Widdecombe lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury.