‘She saved my life’: John Hunt and surviving daughter ‘breathe life’ back into family lost at hands of crossbow killer

The family of three women murdered in a crossbow attack in a quiet cul-de-sac in Hertfordshire back in July have opened up about the killings nearly a year on.

Kyle Clifford stabbed Carol 61, raped his former partner, Louise, 25, then used a crossbow to shoot both her and her sister Hannah, 28 at their family home in Bushey last year.

The attacks sparked a manhunt for the 26-year-old who was found injured by police in a cemetery 13 miles away.

In March, Clifford was handed three whole life orders and was told he will die in jail for the hideous attack.

Giving their first interviews since the murders, John and Amy Hunt hope to "breathe life" back into their lost loved ones - in an effort to not let them be defined by their deaths.

Dad John Hunt, a racing commentator, has said the three remain a constant present in his life and that he talks to them every day.

"From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them," the racing commentator said.

"Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, 'girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment'. As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They're very close to me all the time."

Sister Amy said as soon as Clifford left their home on the day of the incident, "my mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford."

"I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people."

Clifford, who has worked as a private security guard, spent several years as a soldier in the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

His brother is also serving a life sentence after murdering a teenager back in 2017.

Prosecutors said the "violent misogyny promoted" by controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate "fuelled" Clifford's attacks.

Clifford searched for Tate's podcast less than 24 hours before the murders, the court was told.

A court also heard how the killer hid the fact he had relationships with other women during his time with Louise and was signed up to online dating sites Hinge and Bumble.

The pair told the BBC they strongly reject the suggestion that there were clear signs of abuse by Clifford during his relationship with Louise.

"Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not," Amy said.

John said "from day one" the family - and in particular, Louise - was "completely misrepresented in the media and on social media", including suggestions Louise was in a controlling and coercive relationship with Clifford.

Amy spoke of one newspaper headline that read, "Crossbow maniac was jilted" - a framing she describes as "victim-blaming".

However, most painful, the pair said, were claims that there were obvious signs of abuse and misogyny in Clifford's relationship with Louise.

John and Amy said the family had concerns about Clifford - there were things about him they didn't like. He was immature and occasionally inconsiderate.

They say he couldn't deal with conflict and couldn't take criticism.

The family, including Louise, would talk to each other about Clifford's lack of consideration.

But their relationship also seemed unremarkable, they say. The two of them would giggle and cuddle in the house, watch films together, cook together, go on holidays to Europe and take weekend trips to the seaside like normal couples do.

They appeared happy, for at least a year - and when things began to deteriorate in 2024, for those on the outside, the change was subtle.

They said a turning point came when the couple went away for the wedding of a friend.

The night before the ceremony, Louise struggled to use the oven in the accommodation they were staying at.

The next day, when guests asked Louise what she did for a living, Clifford would interrupt saying "one thing she doesn't do is know how to work an oven properly".

Clifford began to belittle her.

When looking through the couple's texts after Louise's death - something John said he found "very difficult to do" as the messages were personal to Louise - they noticed signs, from spring 2024, of "gentle manipulation".

But did they notice anything at the time that suggested the relationship was abusive?

'No', John said.

Clifford never physically assaulted Louise when they were together. The family said they also never heard them raise their voices at each other.

"At the point of Louise ending [the relationship], there was absolutely evidence that he had turned out not to be a nice person," Amy said.

"But I want to put it very bluntly now. Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not.

"He's often been referred to as 'crossbow killer' and 'crossbow maniac' - but that takes away from the very real issue we know to be true.

"He was just a person, just a man... who went to the gym, had a family, had a relationship, watched TV.

"I know it sounds crass, but we often say we wish we'd had some hint that he was capable of this."

In her dying moments, Hannah messaged her boyfriend, Alex, and managed to call 999.

She was able to tell them what had happened but, most importantly, who was responsible.

Alex Klein was reportedly "devastated" by the killings, with a family member saying he was struggling to come to terms with what happened.

John was in central London at the time. He believes Clifford intended to kill him too when he came back.

He said: "Police officers of 30 years' experience had their breath taken away by how brave she was, how she was able to think so clearly in that moment, to know what she needed to do.'

John believes Hannah's actions saved his life.

"I said it in court and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis."

'Awful'

The two also spoke of having to navigate a complex criminal justice system, with Amy describing it as "a system that prioritises the perpetrator".

They said on the day Clifford appeared at magistrates' court after being charged, John and Amy's family liaison officers weren't able to attend the hearing with them as they were at another murder in Luton.

"It just so happened that that morning in the magistrates' court, they revealed aspects of the murders that we had not heard of at all, from anybody," John says.

"That was an awful day."

On another day, when Clifford was due to enter pleas, Amy said they were told the hearing needed to be postponed as the prison transport "didn't turn up to take him to court".

The proceedings were long and torturous for John and Amy.

At first, Clifford denied the charges against him, before pleading guilty to everything except rape. This meant the case had to go to trial. He was convicted in March.

Clifford refused to attend his sentencing later that month, meaning he did not hear the judge's damning comments about him, or the devastating testimonies written by John and Amy

"It's consistently a system that prioritises the perpetrator," Amy said.

"That's a traumatising thing for so many people."

The father and daughter also spoke about how to live again.

John said: "When it happened I thought, 'how on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again'?" J

"It's fine to sit with that thought in the wreckage of what was our personal disaster. But you come to realise that, with a little bit of work, you can find some light again.

"He says they've found comfort in good counsellors and support groups, mindfulness exercises, and the love and support they have for each other.But above all, every day he remembers Hannah's final act, and how it saved his life.

"I get to live," he said.

"Hannah gave me that, and I've got to treat it as a gift from her."