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THIS is the dramatic moment the man suspected of killing Ann Widdecombe is arrested at his home nearly 300 miles away from the scene of the crime.
The ex-Tory minister, 78, was found dead at her isolated bungalow in Haytor, Devon, on Thursday morning.
Video captured on a doorbell camera on Saturday evening, at around 9pm, shows the moment armed officers swooped on the suspect’s home.
It comes as counter-terror cops are now leading the murder probe, with a 28-year-old man re-arrested on on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
And Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the murder suspect “was not known” to the Prevent programme.
Armed cops can be seen charging into the garden of the property before bursting through the alleged killer’s door.
What we know so far…
- Ann Widdecombe, 78, has been found dead at her Devon home
- The politician’s carer reportedly found her body
- The host of Ms Widdecombe’s final TV interview has broken his silence
- Ms Widdecombe’s alleged killer was caught on CCTV at her remote home
- A 28-year-old man has been arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murder
- Counter-terror cops take lead on “murder” probe after “new evidence found”
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the suspect “was not known” to the Prevent programme
Shortly after officers enter the house, backup arrives and detectives can be seen gathering in the garden of the man’s home.
Later, the alleged murderer is led out of his house towards a police vehicle waiting on the street.
The shirtless man is handcuffed and escorted by an officer who takes him to a car waiting on the road.
After the suspect is brought into custody officers remain in his garden and home to look around the property.
Cops theorised that Ms Widdecombe died some 24 hours before she was found, at around midday on Wednesday.
Police said she’d appeared to have been bludgeoned, sustaining a serious head wound.
The 28-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday evening in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
Counter-terror cops are now leading the probe into Ms Widdecombe’s alleged murder – as the male suspect is re-arrested.
He was re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, CTP said.
“New information and evidence” about the death of the ex-Tory minister has come to light, Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTP) said as they took over the investigation today.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she had spoken with the Head of National Counter Terrorism Police, Laurence Taylor, regarding the probe.
It is around a four-hour drive from South Yorkshire, where the man was arrested, to Dartmoor, where Ms Widdecombe lived alone.
Ms Widdecombe was interviewed on TalkTV at around 8am on Wednesday via video link from her isolated bungalow named Widdecombe’s Rest.
She was then due on Channel 5‘s Matt Allwight show at 1pm – but failed to appear.
In exchanges later made public by ITV News, Ms Widdecombe messaged a staff member at 12.19pm telling them “Received! Panic over!!”
But she did not respond to a Zoom link sent half an hour later at 12.48pm before a producer messaged at 12.55pm asking: “Hi Ann is everything ok?”
Channel 5’s Dan Walker later confirmed her agent was then contacted and asked to go check on her.
It’s understood Ms Widdecombe’s carer found her body in the kitchen on Thursday morning and called 999 for an ambulance, who in turn notified police at 11.40am, nearly a full day after it is theorised she was killed.
Cops later revealed she had sustained severe blunt force trauma wounds after being bludgeoned in the head.
It is believed that her killer was caught on her home CCTV cameras.
On Friday, cops said they believed the attack took place at around 12.30pm on Wednesday – and were working on the assumption she died in a burglary gone wrong.
A 26-year-old man was initially arrested on Friday at an address in Newton Abbot, 11 miles from the scene.
He was later released from custody, with cops saying he is no longer part of the investigation.
The latest suspect, described as a white British national, was then arrested in connection with the investigation on Saturday evening and re-arrested today.
Counter-terrorism officers from North East and South Yorkshire Police assisted with the initial arrest.