Man, 26, pleads not guilty to murders of BBC commentator’s wife and daughters

A view of the scene in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire (Jonathan Brady/PA) - (PA Wire)

A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to murdering a BBC commentator’s wife and two of their daughters and faces a further charge of rape.

Kyle Clifford is accused of stabbing 61-year-old Carol Hunt, the wife of John Hunt, to death and fatally shooting Louise, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow at their family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire on July 9.

Cambridge Crown Court heard the defendant is also accused of rape after the charge was added to the indictment against him on Thursday.

Clifford, of Enfield, north London, is further accused of one charge of false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons – namely a crossbow and a 10-inch butcher’s knife.

Kyle Clifford appearing via videolink at a previous hearing (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

The defendant, who appeared via video link from HMP Belmarsh, entered his not guilty pleas to all charges except the new count of rape, for which he is not yet required to enter a plea.

A previous court hearing heard Louise had been found tied up when officers attended the property.

Louise and Hannah Hunt had been shot with a crossbow and their mother Carol had been stabbed with a knife and suffered multiple injuries, the court was told.

Mr Hunt and his third daughter Amy previously issued a statement following the incident, which said: “The devastation we are experiencing cannot be put into words.”