Crossbow killer ‘raped ex-girlfriend after break-up’
51 minutes agoBrian FarmerBBC News, HertfordshireReporting fromCambridge Crown Court
PA MediaA triple killer raped his ex-girlfriend in a “violent, sexual act of spite” during an attack that saw him murder her and her sister with a crossbow and their mother with a butcher’s knife, a court heard.
Kyle Clifford, 26, is alleged to have become “angry” when 25-year-old former partner Louise Hunt ended their 18-month relationship.
Cambridge Crown Court heard Clifford murdered Ms Hunt, her mother Carol, 61, and sister Hannah, 28, after deceiving his way into the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July 2024.
The defendant, of Enfield, north London, admitted murder, false imprisonment and possession of offensive weapons, but denied raping Louise Hunt.
Warning: This article contains details that some people may find distressing
Opening the prosecution’s case, Alison Morgan KC said Clifford “carefully planned and executed” the attacks at the cul-de-sac property.
She told jurors Clifford had admitted the murders, but they were to determine if he raped Louise Hunt.
Carol Hunt was stabbed to death, while Hannah and Louise suffered fatal injuries from a crossbow bolt.
The three women were the wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, who observed the court proceedings on Tuesday from the public gallery.
Contributed“During the course of this prolonged incident, the prosecution alleges that the defendant raped Louise Hunt,” Miss Morgan said.
“It was a violent, sexual act of spite, before he then killed her.”
She said Clifford gained access to the family home by deceiving Carol Hunt, before stabbing her to death in a “brutal knife attack”.
It was alleged he then waited inside the house for Louise, who ran a dog grooming business in a pod in the family’s garden.
After she came inside, he restrained, raped and then murdered her with a crossbow, jurors heard.
He then killed Hannah Hunt with the crossbow when she came home after work.
Miss Morgan said Mr Hunt was not home that day, adding: “A fact which was checked by the defendant during the course of these events, by searching online to see what racing events were taking place that day.”
‘Nasty temper’
Miss Morgan said Clifford and Louise had met on a dating website and been in a relationship for about 18 months.
“Louise Hunt is described by her friends in the highest terms as being a caring, positive and happy person, who was hardworking and who had developed her own business, ‘Groom and Glow’,” Miss Morgan told jurors.
“However, friends and family were concerned about the effect of her relationship with the defendant.”
Louise had told one friend that Clifford had a “nasty temper” and there had been a “number of incidents” where he had “behaved in an aggressive manner”, the trial heard.
A family member found Clifford to be “odd”. They were concerned about Louise’s relationship with the defendant and the way that he treated her, Miss Morgan said.
Miss Morgan added: “Hannah Hunt had said the family found the defendant to be disrespectful, rude and arrogant.
“They hoped that the relationship would come to an end.”
‘Planning an attack’
The prosecutor said Louise instigated the end of the relationship, supported by friends and family.
She told the court Clifford had relationships with “other women” and hid them from Louise.
Clifford tried to “rekindle” the relationship but was rebuffed by Louise and the “rejection” had “angered” him.
Miss Morgan said he was angry at Louise and her family generally, as he “correctly assumed” that friends and family members had advised Louise to end the relationship.
Miss Morgan said Clifford set about “planning an attack” on the Hunt family.
‘Sucking the life out of me’
In late June 2024, Louise had “made it clear” to Clifford that she did not consider his “behaviour” to be “acceptable”, Miss Morgan added.
Louise had said the relationship was “sucking the life out of me” and made it clear that she was “finishing” with Clifford.
On 26 June 2024, she had written: “… I’m sorry Kyle but I feel I can’t continue with what we have, I feel like it has been broken and I can’t ignore how I’ve been feeling or made to feel in our relationship over the course of the year .
“I don’t know that in the future if we both do the work on ourselves this could be something amazing, but I just feel right now I owe it to myself to take some space and walk away for my own sanity and health.
“Thank you for the incredible time we’ve had this year, I hope you know how much I love you and still will for a long time . I never want there to be anything nasty between us ever. Take care of yourself always please.”
Miss Morgan said Clifford appeared to accept “this position”.
But she said, in the days that followed, it became clear that he had not accepted the break-up.
She said he began to “plan the attack that would take place on 9 July 2024”.
She said Clifford also created a telephone note, which appeared to be a “suicide letter”, addressed to relatives.
But she said he made no suicide, or self-harm attempt, before mounting his attack.
Clifford was not at the trial and the judge told jurors he had opted not to attend.
He previously served in the military from 2019 for around three years.
Following the murders, he became the subject of a manhunt for a number of hours before he was found injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery, in Enfield, after shooting himself in the chest with the crossbow.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, previously told jurors that it would be “fundamentally wrong” to think that Clifford must be guilty of “anything else” because he had admitted murder.
The trial continues.
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