A University of Aberdeen employee posted on social media hoping that British politician Ann Widdecombe died “an extremely painful death” — and now police and her employer are both investigating.
Story Snapshot
- Heather Herbert, a web developer at the University of Aberdeen, posted on Bluesky wishing Widdecombe had “screamed in agony” as she died.
- Police Scotland announced they are conducting further inquiries into the post, while counter-terrorism police separately took over the murder investigation.
- Aberdeen University launched its own investigation into Herbert as an employee.
- Herbert is a former Scottish Greens candidate and transgender activist; Widdecombe was a well-known pro-life Catholic conservative politician.
What Herbert Posted — and What Followed
After news broke of Ann Widdecombe’s death on July 9, 2024, Heather Herbert — born Scott Herbert — posted on the social media platform Bluesky. Herbert wrote that she hoped Widdecombe had suffered “an extremely painful death” and was “handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.” The post spread quickly online and drew immediate public backlash from politicians and commentators across the political spectrum.
The University of Aberdeen moved quickly after the post went public. A university spokesperson confirmed the school was investigating Herbert, who works there as a web developer. The university said it was taking the matter seriously. Herbert reportedly doubled down on the comments rather than apologizing, which drew further criticism and kept the story in the news.
Police Inquiry and the Counter-Terrorism Connection
Police Scotland announced they were conducting “further enquiries” into Herbert’s social media post. Available reports confirm an active police inquiry but do not confirm a formal arrest or specific criminal charge against Herbert. That distinction matters. In the United Kingdom, police can investigate online speech under public order laws, but a formal charge requires meeting a legal threshold — and that step has not been publicly confirmed.
Separately, Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, announced that counter-terrorism police had taken the lead in the broader murder investigation. Taylor said “new information and evidence” had established new lines of inquiry into the motive behind Widdecombe’s killing. A 28-year-old man from Rotherham was arrested on suspicion of murder. No public evidence links Herbert’s posts to that suspect or to the crime itself.
Who Was Ann Widdecombe?
Ann Widdecombe, 78, was a former British Conservative Party minister and later a spokeswoman for the Reform UK party. She was known for her strong views on abortion, immigration, and traditional Catholic values — positions that made her a hero to many conservatives and a target of intense criticism from the left. Her death was ruled a targeted attack by counter-terrorism police, making it one of the most serious political killings in recent British history.
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The Socialist Workers Party was also condemned after posting “Hurrah! She’s dead!” about Widdecombe — showing that Herbert was not alone in celebrating her death online. The pattern raises a real question that people on both the left and right should consider: where is the line between protected speech and criminal incitement? UK law gives police broad powers to investigate online posts, but those powers can also be used selectively. Neither side benefits when speech laws are applied based on who is speaking rather than what was actually said.
Sources:
lifesitenews.com, news.stv.tv, youtube.com, ukpol.co.uk, metro.co.uk, dailyrecord.co.uk, bbc.com, express.co.uk, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, committees.parliament.uk, natcen.ac.uk, thoughtfulcampaigner.org
