A former soldier has appeared in court accused of murdering three women with a crossbow at their Hertfordshire home in July, police said.
Hertfordshire Police said Kyle Clifford, 26, had been charged with three counts of murder over the deaths of Carol Hunt and her two daughters, Louise Hunt and Hannah Hunt, in Bushey on July 9.
Clifford, a member of the Royal Dragoon Guards, has also been charged with two counts of false imprisonment and possession of an offensive weapon.
Clifford, from Enfield, was found injured in an Enfield cemetery on July 10.
Hertfordshire Police said in a statement that Clifford remained in custody as he was receiving treatment in hospital and officers had not been able to interview him until now.
After questioning, he was charged and detained.
Clifford appeared remotely at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The charges were read out in full in court: Clifford is accused of counts one to three of murdering Hannah, Carol and Louise in Bushey on July 9.
The 26-year-old man faces two charges of possessing an offensive weapon, one a 10-inch meat cleaver and the other a compound crossbow.
The defendant will be charged with a final offence of false imprisonment for assaulting, unlawfully and injuriously confining, and holding Ms Louise Hunt against her will.
The court heard that when officers arrived at the property they found Louise tied to a chair.
The inquest heard that Louise and her sister Hannah were shot with a crossbow, while their mother Carol suffered multiple stab wounds.
Chief Magistrate District Judge Paul Goldspring remanded Clifford in custody.
“You are charged with three counts of murder, two counts of weapons offences and one count of false imprisonment,” the judge told the defendant.
He said the murder and false imprisonment charges were “matters which can only be tried in the Crown Court” and that the weapons possession charges were “linked”.
The judge continued: “I have no authority to consider bail in this court.”
“I will therefore be sending your case to the Central Criminal Court at the Royal Courts of Justice. You will appear in court later today. You will be remanded in custody.”
Detective Inspector Nick Gardner said: “Our hearts go out to the Hunt family and their families as they try to cope with their loss.”
“Over the past few months we have worked hard to gather as much evidence as we can and establish the full story of what happened that day.
“We have successfully prosecuted Kyle Clifford in connection with the murders of Carol, Hannah and Louise Hunt.”
“It has taken time to get to this stage, but we are now able to move forward with the judicial process and seek justice for our family.”
At the time, BBC horseracing commentator John Hunt, who is also Carol's husband and father to Hannah and Louise and their daughter Amy, said: “Words cannot describe the devastation we are experiencing.”
Lead prosecutor Lisa Ramsaran, from Thames Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Our hearts go out to the Hunt family and all those affected by this tragic incident.”
