Uni employee’s sick publish wishing Ann Widdecombe ‘painful death’ sparks outrage
Aberdeen University is investigating staff member Heather Herbert after she posted “disturbing” messages celebrating ex-MP Ann Widdecombe’s death, saying she hoped she “died a painful death”
Heather Herbert(Image: Heather Herbert/Facebook)
A British uni is probing one of its workers who posted disturbing messages about ex-MP Ann Widdecombe after her death. Prominent activist Heather Herbert’s said she hoped the veteran politician “died a painful death” and was “handcuffed to the bed”.
Aberdeen University confirmed it is looking into the posts, which sparked outraged after they were made on her BlueSky account. A uni spokesman said: “We are aware of the comments being referred to online and are looking into the matter.”
The hateful posts appeared within hours of Ms Widdecombe’s death being announced, and before police officially confirmed they were treating it as a murder inquiry.
Herbert wrote: “Some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death.” She then added: “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.”
The “handcuffed to the bed” remark was widely seen as a reference to a controversial policy Widdecombe defended during her time as a Home Office minister in the 1990s, which allowed pregnant prisoners to be shackled during childbirth.
Herbert, a web developer who has previously stood for election for both Labour and the Scottish Greens, was immediately criticised online.
One person replied: “I was never a fan of the woman and I certainly didn’t agree with her politics, but saying that about a fellow human is awful. There’s enough hatred in this world.”
But Herbert refused to apologise when challenged by Aberdeen University’s student newspaper, The Gaudie. She defended the remarks, saying: “I don’t want to see anyone murdered, but I’m still glad she is dead. I’m not a hypocrite.
“I posted that before the murder investigation was launched. I’m a nobody. I have no power to do anything. Ann Widdecombe was able to and made the lives of ordinary people hell.”
Widdecombe had a long political career spanning 23 years as a Conservative MP, a Home Office minister and later an MEP for the Brexit Party.
During her career, she defended the controversial Section 28 legislation, voted against equalising the age of consent for gay men, opposed civil partnerships and later argued against same-sex marriage.
She was found bludgeoned to death in her remote bungalow on Dartmoor on Thursday. It is thought she was attacked 24 hours earlier at around lunchtime on Wednesday. A 28-year-old man has been arrested and is being quizzed by murder detectives.
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