Uncle of arrested man says he is a βgentle giantβ who has always been quiet and shy
The family of the man arrested on suspicion of Ann Widdecombeβs murder claimed there were βno red flagsβ before the killing.
An uncle of the 28-year-old, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said the family was at a loss to explain the former Conservative ministerβs βterribleβ death.
The suspect remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder and terrorism offences.
Miss Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her remote bungalow on Dartmoor on Thursday morning after sustaining serious injuries in what counter-terror police believed was a βtargeted attackβ.
The suspectβs uncle, 73, said his nephew was a βgentle giantβ. βThere have been no red flags at all,β he said. βHeβs always been a quiet, polite lad, and very shy.β
Neighbours previously told The Telegraph the man was a recluse who rarely left the house.
βTotal shockβ
The uncle also paid tribute to Miss Widdecombe, saying: βI liked Ann because she was forthright.
βShe called a spade a spade. She was strident and principled and thatβs why people were so fond of her.
βIβm just absolutely flabbergasted. I was in total shock when I found out about his arrest, but now Iβm just numb.β
Counter-terror police confirmed on Tuesday that Miss Widdecombeβs death had been a βtargeted attackβ. Detectives are exploring whether the suspect had been scoping out other Reform politicians as part of an extreme Left-wing plot.
The suspect in the case is believed to have driven 300 miles from South Yorkshire to the village of Haytor in Devon on Wednesday July 8. Neighbours reported seeing him leave his home in his red Vauxhall Corsa at around 7am that day, with what appeared to be a partially concealed wooden pole.
Police believe Miss Widdecombe was attacked that Wednesday at about 12.30pm, shortly before she was due on Channel 5βs Matt Allwright show.
ITV News published a series of WhatsApp images that appeared to show that Miss Widdecombe had stopped responding to messages from a TV producer after the approximate time police believe the attack took place.
Her body was discovered on Thursday lunchtime when a neighbour checked on her after her agent raised concerns that she was not responding to messages.
