A gardener discovered Ms Widdecombe face down in her home, the court heard.
Ann Widdecombe died after she was hit on the head with a hammer 21 times at her home in Devon on July 8, prosecutors have told Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
She was found by her gardener lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury, the court was also told.
A man has appeared in court on Tuesday charged with murdering Ms Widdecombe.
Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday over the death of Reform UK spokeswoman and former Tory minister.
Prosecutor Kashif Malik told the court that, on July 8, Miss Widdecombe did not attend a pre-arranged online interview scheduled for just before 1pm, which would have been aired live on Channel 5’s Matt Allwright show.
The show’s production team tried to contact the Reform UK spokeswoman through her personal assistant, who then asked the gardener to check on her, the court heard.
Prosecutors said he entered the house via the open front door the following day, July 9, and found Miss Widdecombe lying face down on her kitchen floor with a serious head injury.
The prosecutor added that Miss Widdecombe had been eating lunch when Kerry allegedly pulled up outside the front of her house in a red Vauxhall Corsa and entered using the front door.
Kerry is accused of then walking to the Reform UK spokeswoman’s kitchen and using a hammer to hit her on the top of her head repeatedly.
Kerry then allegedly tipped Miss Widdecombe from her chair and took a wallet out of her handbag before leaving and driving off, having only been in the property for two minutes, the court heard.
A provisional cause of death was given as a “blunt force injury to the head”, the court heard.
Kerry, who appeared emotionless in the dock, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the short hearing.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody until his next court appearance, set to be at the Old Bailey on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr Goldspring told Kerry: “You’re charged with an offence of murder which can only be dealt with in a crown court.”
He added: “You are therefore remanded into custody and sent to the Crown Court.”
