Kyle Clifford viewed Andrew Tate content night before triple killing, sentencing hearing told – latest updates

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Alison Morgan KC says Carol Hunt, 61, was stabbed “repeatedly and brutally” by Clifford after he entered the house. The prosecution says the 61-year-old was stabbed from the front and behind and “resisted” the attack as best as she could.

She said Clifford used a knife hidden in a backpack to attack Carol Hunt, believing that carrying a crossbow for the first stage of the attack would have caused too much alarm.

After the first murder, he went back to his car to retrieve the crossbow, the court heard, and then wait ed for an hour or so for Louise to come into the house from the pod in the garden where she worked.

“He didn’t choose to run straight through the house to attack Louise Hunt at that point,” Morgan said.

“Every part of what he was doing was part of a careful and coherent plan. He intended to wait and then to be able to restrain and rape Louise Hunt before her death.”

Alison Morgan KC says Clifford was in “sure knowledge” that Carol Hunt, 61, would be home on the day of the attacks in July last year. The prosecution says that Clifford needed “a ruse” to gain access to the home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, so he created a thank you card for the family and took a bag containing items belonging to Louise. “This is a very clear plan to get into the address,” Morgan said.

Kyle Clifford had two conversations with his brother Bradley Clifford, who is in prison serving a life sentence for murder, in the days before his attack at the Hunt family home and mentioned he had ordered a crossbow.

The conversations, on 1 July and 8 July 8 2024, ahead of the attack on 9 July, were both recorded due to Bradley Clifford being in prison, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said.

The prosecutor said that Kyle Clifford “may not say specifically in terms for that very reason what his plans are”.

She said that in the first call Kyle Clifford “told his brother Bradley ‘I’ve ordered a crossbow’.”

The judge said Clifford “never told his brother he was planning to hurt someone”.

The prosecution says Clifford was questioned by his brother why he ordered a crossbow - “you can’t just order a crossbow bruv”, his brother told him.

As my colleague Ben Quinn mentioned in the previous blog post, the prosecution is saying that Clifford searched online for Tate’s podcast on 8 July - the night before the triple murder in Bushey.

It is “no coincidence” that it was Andrew Tate that Clifford “turned to” the night before the triple murder, Alison Morgan KC told Cambridge Crown Court.

A witness statement from a friend of Louise Hunt has showed Clifford’s interest in the self-described misogynist Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution.

Morgan said:

She observed the defendant putting on a video of Andrew Tate. It was a video showing animals being drugged.

She asked the defendant why he was watching it and he said it was funny.

Clifford viewed Andrew Tate content night before murders

Kyle Clifford’s interest in the self-described misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate has been raised in court by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC.

Less than 24 hours before Clifford committed the triple murder that would leave his ex-girlfriend, Louise Hunt, her sister and mother dead, he had searched the internet for misogynistic podcasts.

What was not revealed to the jury during his trial for the rape of Louise was that the 26-year-old had listened to Tate.

Addressing the judge this morning in court, Morgan said that Tate had been aa ‘poster boy’ for misogynists.

She added that Clifford’s interest in him at that time confirms his mindset and is consistent with his planning of a violent attack, including the rape of Louise Hunt, out of spite and to assert his control over her.

Clifford spoke about women at work in 'sexualised' way - prosecution

The prosecution said after time in the army, Clifford later worked at a catering firm, where he allegedly made “inappropriately sexualised comments” to people.

He would also talk about whether he could have sex with female colleagues - including “I could ride you”, Alison Morgan KC said.

His remarks were made while he was still going out with Louise Hunt, and he allegedly had relationships with two other women while in a relationship with Louise, the court heard. The prosecution says Clifford would “discuss bodily features” of women in a “lustful way”.

Morgan said that a supervisor noted “immaturity” at work and described how he referred to his brother Bradley Clifford, who is serving a life sentence for murder, as a “geezer”.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said Clifford, who served in the military from 2019 for about three years, had “no care nor concern beyond himself” during his time in the army. “He appeared unable to accept the authority of others,” Morgan said.

Clifford had been a trooper in The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, but left the army after two years in 2022.

The court heard the defendant was involved in an “alcohol-fuelled” incident in 2021 while in the army in which resulted in “soldiers drinking and then an altercation”.

Ms Morgan said Clifford was also involved in a further altercation with civilians and had to be “forcibly ejected from a pub”.

The prosecutor added: “His commanding officer concluded that he… was wholly unsuited to military employment and has no care nor concern beyond himself.”

Kyle Clifford committed acts of 'extreme violence' against the Hunt family - prosecution

The prosecution is outlining the facts of the case. Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC says Kyle Clifford committed acts of “extreme violence” against the Hunt family.

“He correctly assumed friends and family members had advised Louise to end the relationship,” Morgan told the court.

“He set about planning a catastrophic attack on the Hunt family.”

“Those events came to be because of their relationship ending as it did towards the later stages in June of 2024,” Morgan continued.

“Louise Hunt instigated the end of that relationship. She was supported in doing so by her friends and family.

“In the days that followed, the defendant was prompted to try to rekindle that relationship.

“When Louise Hunt held firm, that rejection angered the defendant. He was angry, not just at Louise Hunt, but also at the Hunt family generally.”

Ben Quinn is reporting from Cambridge Crown Court

Kyle Clifford has refused to be present in court via video link for his sentencing, those gathered have been told by Mr Justice Joel Bennathan.

There had been discussion about putting him into restraints and bringing him to the court remotely but the judge said he had declined

“If the defendant lacks the court to face today so be it but I am conscious that part of this morning will be about people paying tribute to the three women who died and I am not having anything disrupt that,” he said.

“I will address the defendant on the basis that no doubt my comments and those of the family will reach him.”

John Hunt and his surviving daughter, Amy, are sitting on one side of Court 1 with other others around them.

The judge said today will be a “challenging” day and reminds those in attendance to remain as calm as possible during the hearing. “We really must preserve quiet and decorum in this room,” he said.

Kyle Clifford not in attendance for sentencing

The hearing has begun. Kyle Clifford was asked to attend today’s sentencing in person or via video link but the judge, Justice Bennathan, says he declined.

Clifford also stayed in his cell at HMP Belmarsh for his rape trial.

“If the defendant lacks the courage to face today, so be it,” Justice Bennathan said.

Timeline and events leading to the triple murder

Kyle Clifford previously pleaded guilty to murdering Louise, Hannah and Carol Hunt, one count of false imprisonment and two charges of possession of an offensive weapon.

He was last week found guilty of raping Louise Hunt on the day of the triple murder, having previously denied committing it.

Here are the key dates and times before and after the murders:

• 26 June 2024

Louise Hunt ends her relationship with Kyle Clifford, telling him in a message: “I feel like it’s 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.”

• 30 June 2024

Clifford makes internet searches in relation to crossbows and visits websites where they could be purchased.

• 3 July 2024

Clifford purchases a Hori-Zone Kornet MXT-405 compound crossbow, a pack of six crossbow bolts and a rope-cocking device through Tactical Archery. The defendant also buys a £219 CO2 Glock air pistol from The Air Gun Centre in Essex. It was not delivered before the murders and was recalled by the company when it heard about the attacks.

• 4 July 2024

Clifford buys two petrol cans from Halfords and two rolls of duct tape from B&Q. He searches how to uncock a crossbow and fired a crossbow bolt into a tree.

• 9 July 2024

1.07pm: Clifford leaves his home address armed with a knife and a crossbow.

1.48pm: Clifford searches “horse racing today” on the internet to see if Louise Hunt’s father, BBC commentator John Hunt, was working that day.

2.32pm: Clifford knocks on the door of the Hunt family home with a black rucksack containing a knife and tells Carol Hunt he wants to return items of property.

2.39pm-2.45pm: Carol Hunt is murdered by Clifford in a knife attack.

3.10pm: Clifford returns to his car to retrieve the crossbow hidden under a white cloth or blanket.

4.13pm: A faint scream is heard shortly after Louise Hunt enters the family home.

4.13pm-6.50pm: Louise Hunt is restrained with duct tape around her ankles and her wrists and is raped by Clifford.

5.37pm-5.43pm: Clifford checks Louise Hunt’s mobile phone to see who she had been in contact with and what she had been looking at on Instagram.

5.44pm: Clifford tells his sister he was shooting his crossbow at a friend’s house and that it was not “illegal” after she asked why he had taken it out.

5.52pm: Clifford messages John Hunt from Louise Hunt’s phone, asking: “What time are you home?”

5.57pm: Clifford searches “if I unplug my smoke detector will it go off”, with the prosecution saying he had contemplated the use of fire to destroy evidence.

6.50pm: Louise Hunt is murdered with a crossbow shortly before Hannah Hunt arrives at the property.

6.51pm: Hannah Hunt realises Clifford is at the address and shouts “What is wrong with you?”, with screams heard coming from the property.

6.52pm: Hannah Hunt messages her partner: “Call police leggy. Immediately. To mine. Now. Kyle here. POLCOE (sic) NOW. HE’S TYING US UP.”

6.54pm: Hannah Hunt is shot with a crossbow.

6.55pm: Clifford walks away from the property with the crossbow hidden under the sheet and the black rucksack.

6.57pm: Female heard in the property screaming “Oh my God, no” as Hannah Hunt realises her sister and mother have been attacked.

6.58pm: Hannah Hunt uses Carol Hunt’s phone to dial 999 and identifies Clifford as the attacker to the call handler.

7.10pm: Emergency services attend the Hunt family home – Carol and Louise Hunt are found dead and unsuccessful resuscitation attempts are made on Hannah Hunt.

• 10 July 2024

4.49am-5.18am: Clifford is seen in a cemetery in the Lavender Gardens area of Enfield, north London.

4.20pm: Firearms officers locate Clifford in a wooded area with a loaded crossbow before he shoots himself in the chest with the weapon.

4.51pm: Clifford is formally arrested after receiving medical assistance.

• 16 September 2024

Clifford is finally fit to be interviewed by police where he says “sorry” and “what I have done is atrocious”.

John Hunt, a BBC racing commentator, and his surviving daughter Amy have arrived at the court and have been allowed to enter Court 1. They have previously said their devastation over the murders “cannot be put into words”. The hearing is expected to start in about five minutes.

Guardian reporter Ben Quinn is among the journalists (from broadcasters and national newspapers) at Cambridge Crown Court covering the sentencing and will be providing updates throughout the day.

Former soldier Kyle Clifford is facing life behind bars as he is due to be sentenced today for the crossbow murders of his ex-partner and her sister, and for fatally stabbing their mother.

Clifford, 26, shot dead Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow and fatally stabbed their mother, Carol Hunt, 61, during a four-hour attack at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July.

Clifford, of Enfield, north London, was also found guilty of raping Louise Hunt before he killed her. The attack occurred two weeks after she ended their 18-month relationship.

Hannah Hunt (L), Carol Hunt (C) and Louise Hunt (R). Photograph: Facebook

The women were the wife and daughters of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt.

The hearing at Cambridge Crown Court will start at 10:30 GMT. The sentence will be passed at 14:00 GMT.

We will bring you the latest developments from the court throughout the day. Expect to hear some distressing and potentially graphic content as the prosecution outlines the facts of the case.