Crossbow killer Kyle Clifford pleads guilty to murdering wife of racing commentator John Hunt and two daughters
22 January 2025, 10:50 | Updated: 22 January 2025, 11:33
Crossbow killer Kyle Clifford has pleaded guilty to the murder of Carol Hunt and her two daughters at the family's Hertfordshire home.
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Kyle Clifford, 26, was detained by police after Louise and Hannah Hunt were shot with a crossbow and their mother, Carol Hunt, was stabbed to death at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire in July 2024.
The defendant, from Enfield, North London, is also accused of raping Louise Hunt - a charge he continues to deny.
Clifford changed his plea to guilty in relation to the three murder charges shortly before his appearance at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.
He also admitted one charge of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon - namely the crossbow and a 10-inch knife used during the attack.
The attack saw Clifford tie the arms and ankles of 25-year-old former partner Louise Hunt with duct tape and shot her through the chest with a crossbow bolt at their cul-de-sac home.
Hannah Hunt, 28, was found in the main doorway of the house with a crossbow bolt to the chest and was still alive when police arrived at the property at around 7.10pm on July 9.
Police confirmed they had responded to her call, with the 28-year-old telling officers she feared she was going to die as she had been shot and her sister and mother had also been attacked.
Louise's 61-year-old mother, Carol Hunt, the wife of racing commentator John Hunt, sustained significant stab wounds to her knee, hands, back and torso following the attack by Clifford.
Clifford was later found badly injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, North London, following a police manhunt.
'Crossbow killer’ Kyle Clifford has been caught by police after ‘triple murder’
He was taken to hospital for treatment and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder by Hertfordshire Police on suspicion of three counts of murder.
Clifford, the ex-boyfriend of Mr Hunt's daughter, Louise Clifford, worked as a private security guard, alongside several years spent serving as a soldier in the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.
Appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday, Clifford pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment against Louise Hunt, and two counts of possession of offensive weapons - the crossbow and the knife.
The false imprisonment charge alleges that Clifford "assaulted and unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned Louise Hunt and detained her against her will".
Following the attacks, the Home Office said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was urgently considering whether tougher crossbow laws were needed.
Following the triple murder, the racing commentator released a statement, and reflected on the "devastation" that had been caused to his family.
"The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words," he said.
"We would like to thank people for their kind messages and for the support we have received in recent days."These have provided great comfort to us for which we are very grateful."
"As you can imagine, this is an extremely difficult time for us, and we need time and space to come to terms with what has happened and start the grieving process.
"While this is happening, we would ask that our privacy and that of our wider family and relations be respected at this time.
"Thank you."
