Ann Widdecombe killed in ‘targeted attack’, say counter-terrorism police
The murder of firebrand politician Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through the British establishment, prompting fresh debate around the safety of public figures. An unapologetic straight-talking stateswoman, Widdecombe served as an MP for 23 years, and was famed for controversial outspoken views on abortion, gay rights and women’s issues. Despite her divisive nature, Widdecombe managed to win fans away from the political arena thanks to a memorable run on Strictly Come Dancing and other unlikely forays into reality TV. Now, as the investigation into her murder evolves into a terrorism probe, serious questions are being asked of the authorities in Britain, not least by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who called attention to the need for more money to be spent on security for public figures just days before Widdecombe’s death. On Tuesday evening, counter-terrorism police in the UK stated that the murder of Ann Widdecombe is officially recognised as a “targeted attack” while noting that it has “not been declared as a terrorist incident”. Fionnán Sheahan is joined by TRT World presenter Enda Brady to discuss the latest on the investigation, and to look at the sometimes contradictory life of…
The Irish killer, the Budapest murder, the spy camera and the 1,000-woman tally
In early November 2024, Dublin man Lorcan Tadgh Murphy was in a bar in downtown Budapest, scanning the room. He was alone, supposedly in the city on business, but something of a more personal nature else caught his eye. Among the patrons in the bar that evening was a 31-year-old American nurse by the name of Mackenzie Michalski. She was enjoying her last night out as her trip around Europe came to an end. Across the room, Michalski and Murphy made eye contact and a flirtation began. The pair later moved to a nightclub before heading back together to Murphy’s nearby apartment. Hours later, Mackenzie Michalski was dead, and a panicked Murphy was frantically trying to get his story straight. But the life of Lorcan Murphy, now serving a lengthy prison sentence in Hungary, has since been revealed to be far more sinister than anyone first realised, as details emerged of covert recordings and an expressed ambition to sleep with 1,000 women. On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Sunday Independent senior correspondent Maeve Sheehan to discuss a shocking murder in…