Uni Worker Refuses To Apologise For Ann Widdecombe Posts, Doubles Down On “Extremely Painful Death” Hopes

The Aberdeen University employee who is under investigation by the uni for celebrating Ann Widdecombe’s death has denied she is a hypocrite and refused to apologise for the posts.

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

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

The posts are still up, and Herbert has doubled down after being contacted by Metro for comment.

She says she has received loads of death threats for her posts but refuses to delete them.

She told the outlet: ‘I’m not a hypocrite, the manner of her death does change how I feel about her.

‘Obviously I don’t want to see anyone murdered but I’m not sad she’s dead. Uni of Aberdeen – what’s it’s got to do with them?

‘If you [reporter] go out and get drink on a Friday night and break a glass, is it the Metro’s fault?’

She noted Ann Widdecombe’s own 2019 Oxford Union speech in which she said: ‘Nobody has the right to live their lives being protected from offence or from insults or from hurt feelings.

‘It is an occupational hazard of living in society. And if you really can’t take it become a hermit.’

Well, fair point really. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be immune from criticism when dancing on someone’s grave because you disagreed with their politics.

On the threats received after the Bluesky post, she explained: ‘I do feel it’s somewhat telling that the death threats are from people who have for the last few years called me a snowflake for being upset that they call me a peado or groomer or freak.

‘It’s almost like the campaign for free speech isn’t really about free speech. I look forward to my three page uncritical article about how I’ve been cancelled.’

Explaining the handcuffed to the bed ‘screaming in agony’ post, she said: ‘It’s a story from when [Widdecombe] was prisons minister.

‘She apparently complained that a female inmate in Labour wasn’t chained to the bed in order to prevent her escape. It’s disputed.’

Widdecombe had told the Commons in 1996 that shackles were necessary to prevent prisoners from escaping: ‘Some MPs may like to think that a pregnant woman would not or could not escape. Unfortunately this is not true.

‘The fact is that hospitals are not secure places in which to keep prisoners, and since 1990, 20 women have escaped from hospitals’.

OK, so Ann Widdecombe was a ruthless person with questionable views. Again, not sure that warrants celebrating her death or wishing it was painful. The bigger question though is why Heather Herbert would be dumb enough to share these opinions on social media? What do you get out of it? Celebrate her death in private and you won’t be bombarded with abuse/death threats over them.

Anyway, it’s too late for that now, and worse still for Herbert; Aberdeen University has launched an urgent probe into her comments. Will be interesting to see whether she gets the sack over it.

Meanwhile, a a 28-year-old man remains in custody as a suspect in Widdecombe’s murder. Here’s CCTV footage of him getting into his car with a weapon in the early hours of that day.