Key facts
- Heather Herbert, an Aberdeen University employee, has been charged over social media comments about Ann Widdecombe's death.
- Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Devon on July 9.
- Herbert's comments, posted on Bluesky, were described as "good news" and expressed a hope for a "painful death".
- Police Scotland initially assessed the comments and found no criminality but later arrested and charged Herbert.
- A separate investigation into Widdecombe's death is ongoing, with a 28-year-old man re-arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related acts.
An employee of the University of Aberdeen has been arrested and charged in connection with social media comments made about the death of former MP Ann Widdecombe. Heather Herbert, 50, was reported to police on Saturday, July 11, 2026, over an online post made following Widdecombe's death on Thursday, July 9.
Widdecombe, who was a former Conservative minister and later a Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Devon with serious injuries. Herbert's comments, posted on the social media app Bluesky, reportedly described Widdecombe's death as "good news" and expressed a hope that she had died a "painful death," referencing comments Widdecombe made as prisons minister.
Police Scotland initially stated that there was no criminality related to the comments but later confirmed the case was under investigation. Following further assessment, Herbert was arrested and charged, and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. The University of Aberdeen stated that the comments were entirely the individual's own and did not represent the institution's views, adding that they were cooperating with the police inquiry.
Separately, a 28-year-old man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who was initially arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Widdecombe's death, has been re-arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation, or instigation of acts of terrorism. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor confirmed that a counter-terrorism investigation is running in parallel to the murder investigation.