Ann Widdecombe was bludgeoned 21 times over the head with a hammer in a two-minute attack captured on camera, a court heard today.

Joshua Kerry, 28, is accused of entering the former Tory minister and Brexit Party MEP’s Dartmoor home through the open front door and murdering her as she ate lunch in her kitchen.

Kerry, who was in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, then rifled through her handbag, grabbed her wallet and fled after spending just 120 seconds inside the property, prosecutor Kashif Malik said.

Miss Widdecombe’s gardener found her lying face-down on her kitchen floor, around 24 hours after she was killed.

Kerry was allegedly filmed arriving at the bungalow in his red Vauxhall Corsa on a Ring doorbell camera before attacking the politician with a hammer in view of another camera in the hallway.

The 78-year-old was eating lunch shortly before a pre-arranged Zoom interview that was due to be broadcast live on Channel 5‘s Matt Allwright show at 12.50pm on July 8.

Prosecutors say Kerry drove 300 miles to Dartmoor from his home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and entered the property wearing gloves with a hammer hidden behind his back.

He is alleged to have confronted Miss Widdecombe as she ate, asking her: ‘Don’t suppose you have bank cards and ID?’

He then struck her 21 times on the top of her head.

Kerry is said to have then tipped her from her chair on to the kitchen floor before stealing her wallet.

Ann Widdecombe was found dead, lying face down in the kitchen of her Dartmoor home (pictured) after allegedly being hit on the head 21 times with a hammer

Joshua Kerry, 28, who has been charged over the death of Ann Widdecombe and is alleged to have walked in through her open front door, killed her and left two minutes later

Kerry, 28, sketched in the dock at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday. He spoke only to confirm his name and address and did not enter a plea

Just two minutes after entering the politician’s home, Kerry was back in his car and driving away from the scene, prosecutors say.

Around 24 hours later, on July 9, Miss Widdecombe’s gardener found her lying on the kitchen floor with a severe head injury.

He had been asked to check on her by her personal assistant after she was unable to contact her. The front door was open and held back by a doorstop.

Paramedics were called to the property and confirmed she had died. Police arrived at 12.01pm.

After the red Vauxhall Corsa was traced to Rotherham, Kerry was arrested at his home at 9.07pm on suspicion of murder. He was later further arrested under the Terrorism Act.

Police searches of the property recovered a hammer and a pair of gloves from a bin, prosecutors said.

A mobile phone seized from the defendant allegedly contained photographs taken on the day of Miss Widdecombe’s murder showing her driving licence and bank cards, which prosecutors say were stolen after the attack.

Today Joshua Kerry spoke only to confirm his name and address when he appeared before Westminster magistrates.

He did not enter a plea during the short hearing.

Kerry sat in a grey prison-issue tracksuit with his arms folded as details of the case were read out by the prosecutor.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring directed that he appear later this afternoon for another preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey.

Mr Goldspring told Kerry: ‘You’re charged with an offence of murder which can only be dealt with in a crown court.’

He added: ‘You are therefore remanded into custody and sent to crown court.’

Immediately after the hearing Kerry was taken to a prison van to be transported to the Old Bailey.

Meanwhile his lawyer was taken in a police car with blue flashing lights to the Central Criminal Court ahead of a hearing due to take place at 3pm.

During a short hearing at the Old Bailey, no bail application was made on behalf of Kerry.

The court heard that officers had not reached a ‘definite position’ on the allegations of terrorism, which is still being investigated.

The defendant was remanded in custody ahead of the next hearing on October 9.

A trial date was set for June 8 next year.

It came as the coroner in Ann Widdecombe‘s inquest claimed the cause of her death is still yet to be established.

Senior coroner for Devon Philip Spinney said the ‘precise’ reason the former Tory minister died has not been confirmed, although she had ‘visible injuries’.

She was found dead at her rural property after becoming ‘uncontactable’, prompting a member of staff to carry out a welfare check at her Dartmoor home on July 9, the inquest heard.

Kerry arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court around the same time the inquest into Miss Widdecombe’s death opened

A post-mortem examination has taken place but ‘at this stage the precise medical cause of death is yet to be established’, Mr Spinney said, as he opened, then adjourned, the inquest.

The coroner confirmed a post-mortem has taken place but said the medical cause of death has yet to be established.

Concerns were raised after she missed a media interview the previous day and subsequently proved uncontactable.

A statement from Coroner’s Officer Sarah Haworth said: ‘Concerns were raised that she was uncontactable and an employee who was due at the home address was asked to conduct a welfare check.

‘She was found to be unresponsive with visible injuries.

‘The post-mortem examination has taken place and at this stage of the process the precise medical cause of death has yet to be established.’

She was pronounced dead at the scene at 12.20pm on July 9.

Mr Spinney said he would suspend the inquest until the conclusion of criminal proceedings and added: ‘It is plain that Miss Widdecombe was much-loved and greatly missed.

‘I’d like to offer my condolences to the family of Miss Widdecombe.’