Almost £30,000 has been raised for the surviving family members of three women murdered in a crossbow attack in Bushey.
Mother-of-three Carol Hunt was killed along with her daughters Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28, in the “horrific” attack last Tuesday (July 9).
BBC Radio 5 Live racing commentator John Hunt, husband of Carol and father to Louise and Hannah, issued a statement with his surviving daughter Amy, saying their devastation “cannot be put into words”.
In another statement read out on Sky Sports at the weekend, Mr Hunt described the attacks as a “horrid evil that’s swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale” while he praised Amy’s response as “magnificently inspirational”.
A Gofundme page was launched to help ensure Amy, a freelance lifestyle journalist based in London, is able to “get through life without any financial worries” after losing her mother and two sisters.
The fundraiser, run by Matt Chapman, pays tribute to Mr Hunt as “a true family man” and “one of the most talented and nicest blokes you could meet”.
“I am sure, like me, you have been left numb by what has happened,” writes Mr Chapman.
“What we can do is raise as much money as possible for the Hunt family, in particular daughter Amy.
“On the back of the horror, I know John would so dearly love Amy to be able to get through life without any financial worries. Of course, during these devastating times life continues.
“This is a special family that has been left heartbroken. Please give anything you can to show them just how much we care and love them.”
As of Monday morning, more than 750 people had together donated more than £27,000 of the page’s £50,000 target, including an anonymous donation of £3,000.
Among donors was Hannah Bhimani, who wrote: “Words cannot begin to convey the shock and sorrow I feel for you and your family.
“Hannah was such a wonderful person, full of kindness and warmth, and her presence brought joy to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. My deepest condolences to your family.”
Mrs Hunt, 61, and her two youngest daughters were found fatally injured at a house in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close, in Bushey, Hertfordshire, just after 7pm last Tuesday (July 9).
Kyle Clifford, 26, was arrested on suspicion of their murders after he was found with injuries in the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London, the following afternoon.
He remained in a London hospital on Monday morning.
Paying tribute to the three victims on Saturday, Mr Hunt and his eldest daughter Amy said: “The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words.
“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.”
In a further statement read to Sky Sports Racing viewers by his colleague Matt Chapman, Hunt paid tribute to his “magnificently inspirational” surviving daughter.
He said: “Notwithstanding the horrid evil that’s swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale, the counter to that has been the breathtaking messages of support, some of which are still to be read.
“Amy, my eldest daughter, has been magnificently inspirational with her control and support for me, which I am trying, trying so hard, to replicate.
“Every message has felt so important, the same as a reassuring hug.
“We know people are worried about us, we will get through this. Sending love to everyone, John.”
At a vigil at St James’ Church in Bushey on Thursday, friends of the Hunt family paid tributes.
Lea Holloway, 60, a childhood friend of Carol Hunt, described her as a “beautiful person”.
“This is the stuff nightmares are made of,” she said. “They were a lovely family and (the daughters) were lovely girls.
“They were making their way through life and their lives have been taken too soon. It’s the thing of nightmares.“I feel for their eldest daughter and John (Hunt). I can’t imagine what it would be like.”
Hannah and Louise’s former school, Loreto College in St Albans, said Loreto College in St Albans said it was “mourning the loss of two of our ex-students, Hannah & Louise, along with their mother, Carol”.
“They will always hold a place in our heart,” the school added. “May they rest in peace.”
Colleagues of Mr Hunt said they were “heartbroken” for the commentator and a minute’s silence was held for the family during the July Festival at Newmarket Racecourse in Suffolk, while jockeys sported black armbands.
Flowers were also left at the scene in Ashlyn Close.
Hannah Hunt’s grieving partner Alex Klein paid tribute to her on social media as “the love of my life”. “The brightest light in my life. My brave queen for life. Until we meet again... I love you Hansy,” he wrote.
In a post on Facebook, her colleagues at The Anti-Ageing Clinic in Radlett, Hertfordshire, said she was “a fantastic therapist and clients loved her”.
Her younger sister Louise ran successful dog grooming business Groom and Glow, which she launched in 2020, and is understood to have run from a building in the back garden of the home she lived at with her parents.
Heartbroken clients shared their grief on social media, describing Louise as “a beautiful girl inside and out” who “always showed kindness and love.
Visit the fundraising page here.
