THE prime suspect in the Ann Widdecombe murder investigation arrived home about five hours after she was killed — and scoffed a supermarket pizza.
The 28-year-old is believed to have made the 540-mile round trip to Devon, where the former Tory minister was bludgeoned to death, in one day.
He left home in Rotherham, South Yorks, at 7.51am on Wednesday — and his red Vauxhall Corsa was back on the driveway at 6pm.
The man, who lived alone in a red-brick council house, ate a Pizza Express Sloppy Giuseppe that night — but did not emerge from his home again for three days.
He came out only on Saturday morning to put rubbish in his wheelie bin, CCTV reveals.
The footage, taken just after 10am, showed him shirtless, wearing a pair of blue shorts and carrying a plastic bag.
He turned back, walked past his Corsa and called for his barking labradoodle, Rave, to come back inside with him.
Later that night, armed terror police stormed in and arrested him, leading him, still shirtless, out of the house in handcuffs.
The suspect’s movements are being pieced together by officers — as the investigation was passed to anti-terror police amid fears the murder was politically motivated.
Detectives believe 78-year-old Ann, who switched allegiance from the Tories to Reform, was killed at her bungalow in the remote village of Haytor at 12.30pm on Wednesday.
At first, officers thought she died in a fall and did not realise she was murdered until a day later.
Devon and Cornwall Police top brass repeatedly played down the idea of a political motive, fuelling speculation that it was a burglary that turned violent.
But in a dramatic twist yesterday, counter-terror police took over the murder investigation.
They say it followed the examination of electronic devices belonging to the suspect after he was taken into custody.
He was re-arrested on suspicion of “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.
It suggests the plot to kill Ann, known for her forthright socially conservative views, was for political, ideological or religious reasons.
Terror suspects can be held without charge for up to 14 days instead of the standard 24 hours for other criminal matters.
Head of National Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor described it as “a dynamic and complex investigation”.
He added: “Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.
“Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all the capabilities we have available to us.
“If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.
“We would like to thank local communities, the wider public and the media for their ongoing support and patience, and would ask them to continue to support us in the next stage of the investigation.”
The shift to counter-terror police appears to vindicate claims by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage it was a “premeditated murder”.
He refused to accept the killing was a burglary gone wrong — but was accused of exploiting Ann’s death for political propaganda.
Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable James Vaughan defended his force, saying it “mounted an extraordinary response to a horrific murder of a very prominent public figure”.
He said the “lightning pace” of the investigation had shown “British policing at its very best”.
Meanwhile, it emerged that a Ring doorbell camera fitted to the front doorframe of Ann’s home provided officers with the crucial breakthrough in the case.
The veteran politician was interviewed on TalkTV at 8am that morning — just as the suspect apparently set off from home.
Ann was due to appear on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show at 1pm.
She replied to a text from a producer at 12.19pm but failed to join a Zoom link sent to her at 12.48pm.
Her body was found at about 11.40am the following day.
She sustained serious head injuries and was covered in blood.
The door camera caught images of a white British man and his car allowing counter-terror officers to use specialist resources to pinpoint the suspect’s address in the Kimberworth area of Rotherham.
Further CCTV obtained by The Sun showed police arriving to arrest the suspect just after 9pm on Saturday.
Two armed officers sprinted into the front garden with their weapons drawn as others followed behind.
The front and back of the property was secured before the shirtless suspect was led out in handcuffs.
He was placed in the back of a police van and taken to a nearby station.
Scenes of crime officers in white suits immediately entered the property to begin a meticulous search for evidence.
His red hatchback was towed away at 3am.
Officers also searched his bins and the bushes at his home.
Residents continued to leave floral tributes near Ann’s home amid shock over her murder.
Resident Wayne Maloney said: “After the news broke, people were pretty scared to go out because there was a killer on the loose.”
He added that there was relief when police made an arrest only for fears to return when that suspect was released.
He said: “When we had the second arrest, it was like ‘Thank goodness’.”
In Rotherham, neighbours said the suspect had lived at the property for several years with his engineer father.
They said his dad, who was an amputee, died in hospital just before Christmas.
His mum and two older brothers live nearby.
Residents described him as “polite and kind” saying he would often put out their bins. But he rarely went out and left his car on the driveway.
POLICE ‘JUDGED TOO FAST’
By Jack Elsom
POLICE are under fire for initially insisting Ann Widdecombe’s death was not politically charged.
Reform’s deputy chief Richard Tice suggested the cops had “too quickly” ruled out the ex-MP’s public profile as a motive — before a terror probe was launched.
He said it would “be wise when considering motivation to keep things open-ended in terms of motivation rather than ruling things out too quickly that may end up being ruled back in”.
His party colleague Zia Yusuf also rebuked calls not to “speculate” on the suspect’s intention — saying this was code for “shut up and accept the establishment narrative”.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood yesterday confirmed counter-terror cops had taken over the investigation. She told MPs that the 28-year-old white British suspect, who is in custody, was not known to the Prevent extremism watchdog. She also offered Reform leader Nigel Farage an urgent meeting with the Government’s head of security amid fears of heightened threats.
Ms Mahmood said: “I recognise the particular concern the Reform Party will feel today, and of course, Nigel Farage, the party’s leader.
“I am happy to offer a meeting for Mr Farage with the chair of Ravec, the independent body within the Home Office that manages the security of those in public life.”
Mr Farage, who pays for his own protection, confirmed he would be taking up the offer. The Home Secretary said “security guidance” will be beefed up both for ex MPs and politicians outside the Commons, as Ms Widdecombe was.
It came after a blazing row between Mr Yusuf and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, left, over his treatment of Reform MPs.
Sir Lindsay reprimanded Reform’s chief whip Lee Anderson over suggestions by Mr Yusuf he did not care about their party’s security.