A former soldier raped his ex-girlfriend in a “violent, sexual act of spite” before he murdered her with a crossbow, a court has heard.
Kyle 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, on 9 July last year. The women were the wife and daughters of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt.
Clifford allegedly began plotting to attack Louise two days after she had ended their 18-month relationship because he was “enraged” by the rejection. He was also angry at the Hunt family generally because he assumed, correctly, that they had advised Louise to break up with him, Cambridge crown court heard.
In the days after the breakup on 26 June 2024, Clifford bought a 30-metre (100ft) length of rope, a crossbow, an air pistol, a 25cm (10in) butcher’s knife, two cans of petrol and two rolls of duct tape.
Opening the case on Tuesday, the prosecutor, Alison Morgan KC, said Clifford had “committed acts of extreme violence” against Louise and her family after searching online for the day’s racing events to check if John was at home.
“He purchased weapons and equipment for an attack which he intended would involve killing more than one person and would involve the restraint and rape of Louise Hunt,” she said.
“The defendant’s planning of that attack began shortly after Louise Hunt sent messages to him ending their relationship. The attack was carefully planned and executed, involving the deceit of Louise’s mother, Carol Hunt, in order to gain access to the family home, followed by a brutal knife attack upon Carol Hunt.
“The defendant then waited for Louise Hunt to enter the property, before restraining, raping and ultimately murdering her with a crossbow. He then killed Louise’s sister Hannah Hunt with the crossbow when she returned to the property after work.”
Clifford, from Enfield, north London, has chosen not to attend the one-week trial before the judge Mr Justice Bennathan. He admitted the triple murder, false imprisonment of Louise and two counts of possession of offensive weapons, namely an MX-405 crossbow and a 25cm knife, at an earlier hearing at Cambridge crown court on 22 January. He denied raping his former partner on the day of her death.
His barrister, Phil Bradley KC, told the jurors on Tuesday that it was not disputed that Clifford’s DNA had been found but that he denied rape. He said the defence case was that Clifford and Louise last had sexual intercourse on 23 June.
But Morgan told jurors Clifford was alleged to have raped Louise during the “prolonged incident of violence” on 9 July. “It was a violent, sexual act of spite before he then killed her.,” she said.
Louise, described as a “caring, positive and happy person” who ran a dog grooming business from a pod in the family garden, had met Clifford online. She confided in friends that he had a “nasty temper”, behaved in an “aggressive manner” and that she was going to break up with him. Hannah, who was a beauty therapist, told a relative the family found Clifford disrespectful, rude and arrogant, and that they hoped the relationship would end.
Clifford had also been in relationships with two other women while he was dating Louise, “which he hid” from her, the court heard.
Louise made a note on her phone after the breakup titled “When you’re sad, look”, which set out how Clifford made racist comments, “did not like transgender people”, used “belittling language” and still saw his brother who was in prison every other week.
Morgan said Louise was firm in rebuffing any attempts by Clifford to get back together. “It was that firm rejection by Louise which angered [Clifford] and provides the context and motive for what came to happen on 9 July,” she said.
The court heard that Clifford had begun researching sources for crossbows on 30 June while also accessing pornography, including a video of the former HMP Wandsworth prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, who was jailed after having sex with a prisoner last year.
Morgan said: “The prosecution say this is a clear indication of the violence intended through the use of weapons and his sexual preoccupations.”
The court heard Clifford had arrived at the Hunt home on 9 July and deceived Carol into letting him in by claiming he was returning Louise’s possessions. A doorbell camera captured some of their exchanges before Carol’s screams were heard within a minute of Clifford entering the property.
Clifford then waited for 90 minutes for Louise, who was working in her pod, unaware her mother had been murdered. Jurors were told a faint scream was heard shortly after she entered the house, and she was found to have been restrained with tape at the wrist and ankles.
Two hours later, a whooshing sound, consistent with a crossbow being fired at her, was heard on audio, the court heard.
Hannah was captured on doorbell footage returning home before appearing to find Clifford in the house, saying: “Kyle I swear to God.”
She messaged her partner, Alex Klein, telling him to “call police … immediately. To mine. Now. Kyle here. Police now. He’s tying us up.” She also called 999 after being shot with the crossbow.
Clifford, who served in the military for about three years from 2019, became the subject of a search for a number of hours before he was found injured in Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield on 10 July 2024 after shooting himself in the chest with the crossbow.
During a 10-week hospital stay, Clifford, who is now paralysed from the chest down, told police he was sorry and that what he had done was “atrocious”, the court heard.
The trial continues.
