British counterterrorism police charged Joshua Kerry on Friday with preparing acts of terrorism, including conduct they say was directed at Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, while Kerry remains in custody on an earlier murder charge in the death of former minister Ann Widdecombe. The new count, authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, covers alleged activity between May 2024 and July 2026 and will be heard at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 7 October, police said in a statement.
How the cases intersect
Kerry, 28, of Rotherham, was charged in July with murder after Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her Devon home with serious injuries on 9 July. Widdecombe served as a Conservative MP for Maidstone for more than two decades, held ministerial posts in John Major’s government and later became a Reform UK spokeswoman. Friday’s terrorism charge does not replace the murder prosecution; prosecutors described it as the outcome of a parallel inquiry that senior officers said had become “hugely intensive and complex.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said detectives, analysts and forensic specialists pursued multiple lines of enquiry before the CPS approved the Terrorism Act 2006 charge. Frank Ferguson of the CPS special crime and counterterror division said prosecutors worked closely with police and would continue to do so as both cases move toward court.
What authorities allege
Police did not publish operational details about the alleged Farage-related planning in Friday’s releases, citing ongoing investigations and upcoming court proceedings. They confirmed only that the preparation charge includes conduct aimed at Farage among the acts listed in the indictment paperwork. Farage’s office did not immediately comment; Reform UK press officers redirected questions to police and the CPS.
The charge lands amid heightened security attention to elected officials after a series of threats and intrusions across British politics. It also arrives weeks after separate counterterror arrests linked to an incident near RAF Fairford, which officials have described as a distinct investigation. Kerry’s terrorism case is not presented by police as part of that Fairford inquiry.
Next court dates
Kerry is due to appear on the terrorism count on 7 October. Murder proceedings are expected to follow their own timetable, with no trial dates fixed in public listings reviewed Friday. Widdecombe’s family asked for privacy after her death; police repeated an appeal for anyone with information about either case to contact the national counterterror hotline or Devon and Cornwall Police.
Because the allegations involve named individuals and pending criminal charges, InfoHandle is not repeating unverified claims beyond what police and prosecutors attributed in their published statements. Further facts will depend on evidence presented in open court.