The former soldier is found guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend before killing her with a crossbow in “final act.”
Kyle Clifford, 26, shot dead 25-year-old Louise Hunt and his sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow, fatally stabbing his mother, Carol Hunt in a four-hour attack at Bussy's home in Hertfordshire on July 9th last year. The woman was the wife and daughter of BBC racing commentator John Hunt.
Clifford was angry at his rejection and began planning to attack Louise two days after the 18-month relationship was over. Cambridge Crown Court heard, angering the Hunt family, saying he “just assumed” that he had advised Louise to break up with him.
In his closing speech to the ju judge, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said: If he wanted Louise, he would have her, he would control her, he would rape her, he would kill her and her family members…
“If he hadn't had Louise Hunt, no one else would go, so he was going to drop her family down with her. He knew that the family didn't support a relationship with her. He was angry, and that anger had nothing to do with Louise Hunt, in the final act before Louise Hunt's death, and nonetheless had anything to do with the plot of sexual violence as a means of action.”
Clifford, a native of Enfield in north London, refused to attend trial before Judge Benathan and gave no evidence. He admitted two counts of triple murder, Louise's false imprisonment, that is, possession of an MX-405 crossbow and a 25cm knife during his previous hearing at Cambridge Crown Court on January 22. He denied raping his ex-partner on the day of her death.
His barrister, Phil Bradley KC, told the ju judge on Tuesday that the defense case was the last time Clifford and Louise had sex on June 23rd.
However, on Thursday, seven women and five male ju apprentices felt guilty after a 45-minute deliberation of raping Louise on July 9th. After the verdict was returned, there was applause from the public gallery.
The judge thanked the ju judge and said he would be sentenced Clifford on Tuesday. He said: “The only sentence is life sentence due to a murder conviction.”
He told the ju judge that the incident was “terrifying” as he praised the Hunt family for their dignity and restraint.
The trial heard that Clifford has begun investigating the murder weapon and has been watching porn within days of his disbandment on June 26th.
It was revealed that he was searching the internet 24 hours before the attack, searching for a podcast by misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate.
He bought a 30-meter (100-foot) rope, a crossbow, an air pistol, a 25cm butcher knife and two gasoline. Clifford was captured on CCTV and purchased two rolls of duct tape. He held down Louise, tied his wrists behind his back and to his ankles.
Morgan told the ju judge: What was clearly happening was marrying the idea of extreme violence between sexual desire and satisfaction. His plan shows that he not only planned murder, but also planned acts that include sexual violence. ”
Clifford murdered Carol within two minutes of entering the family's home at 2:39pm. He then waited over an hour for Louise to finish work in the yard before Louise restrained, spitted and raped her. He murdered her more than two hours later, then shot Hannah, who died in the same crossbow when she returned home from work.
In legal arguments, prosecutors said Clifford's meticulously planned assault involved the use of sex “as a weapon” against Louise. “The maliciousness and slightness that comes from his abuse, as he sees, burns the whole plan of these events, and… sexual violence is part of it,” she said.
Police said the scale of Clifford's crime was “unprecedented” in terms of male violence against women and girls.
“This is not a crime of passion, it's a carefully planned attack,” said DCI Nick Gardner, a member of the main crime departments of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. He added that Clifford did not give any comment during his interview with police and showed no regrets.
Clifford was subject to a few hours of search after being injured at Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield on July 10, 2024, after shooting in the chest with a crossbow. He is now numb from his chest.
