Aberdeen University Employee Arrested Over Online Posts She Made Following Death Of Ann Widdecombe

The uni worker who posted on social media that she hoped Ann Widdecombe suffered an “extremely painful death” has been arrested and charged by police.

Heather Herbert, 50, a web developer at Aberdeen University, wrote on her Bluesky account: “Some good news for once. I hope it was an extremely painful death.”

She later wrote: “I hope she was handcuffed to the bed as she screamed in agony.”

We already knew Aberdeen University was investigating the comments, but I had no idea the police were involved too. Obviously the things she posted were deplorable and out of order, but to be arrested and charged over it? Seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it?

According to the BBC, Police Scotland initially said ‘no criminality has been established’, but Herbert has since been arrested and charged, although the exact specific legal charge has not yet been publicly detailed.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: ‘We received reports on Saturday, 11 July, 2026 relating to a post made online.

‘Following further assessment, a 50-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection.

‘A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.’

I’m trying to work out what the charge could be as obviously there was no threat or inciting violence, so surely this is a breach of a right to freedom of expression. It would seem that Herbert has only been arrested because of all the backlash her comments provoked and to appease all the people going crazy about it on the internet.

If her posts truly are worthy of a charge, then it sets a dangerous precedent. After all, there have been comments made in Herbert’s direction in response to her posts that are just as vicious as the things she posted. Which is another reason why arresting people over social media posts is such a slippery slope.

Well anyway, we’ll have to see how it pans out in court which is when I imagine we’ll learn the charge also. A lot of people who oppose Herbert’s politics like to go on about free speech, do they still feel the same in this case?

For CCTV footage of the Ann Widdecombe murder suspect getting into his car on the morning she was killed, click HERE.