Crossbow Killer Jailed for Life After Slaughtering Family

Kyle Clifford, the crossbow killer who slaughtered three women in a brutal revenge attack, has been given a whole life sentenceKyle Clifford, the crossbow killer who slaughtered three women in a brutal revenge attack, has been given a whole life sentence

By Ben Freeman.By Ben Freeman.

Kyle Clifford, thecrossbow killercrossbow killerwho murdered three women in an act of calculated,misogynistic violencemisogynistic violencemisogynistic violence,,willdie in prisondie in prisonafter being handed a rarewhole life orderwhole life orderat Cambridge Crown Court. The26-year-old26-year-old, who murdered hisex-girlfriend Louise Huntex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her motherCarolCarol, and her sisterHannahHannahin a meticulously planned attack,refused to leave his cellrefused to leave his cellat HMP Belmarsh to face justice. His absence was condemned by the families he destroyed, withJohn HuntJohn Hunt, husband and father of the victims, telling Clifford directly:

Sentencing Clifford in his absence,Mr Justice BennathanMr Justice Bennathanleft no doubt about the killer’s character.

Describing the attacks as“brutal and cowardly,”“brutal and cowardly,”the judge rejected any notion that Clifford had shown even the slightest remorse. The court heard how Clifford had spentmonths stalking and monitoringmonths stalking and monitoringthe Hunt family, studyingJohn Hunt’s work scheduleJohn Hunt’s work scheduleto ensure he would be absent when he struck. After being rejected by Louise, Clifford allowed his obsessive resentment to fester, immersing himself inmisogynistic online contentmisogynistic online content, including videos from disgraced influencerAndrew TateAndrew TateAndrew Tate, before setting his plan into motion.

OnJuly 9 last yearJuly 9 last year, Clifford arrived at the family home inBushey, HertfordshireBushey, Hertfordshire,armed with a knife and duct tapearmed with a knife and duct tape, as well as acrossbow stowed away in his carcrossbow stowed away in his car. At the door, he was met byCarol HuntCarol Hunt, a woman who had shown himnothing but kindnessnothing but kindness. She offered himwords of guidancewords of guidancein those final moments before he responded byplunging a knife into her body eight timesplunging a knife into her body eight times.

Louise, working in agarden podgarden pod, remained unaware of her mother’s fate. Rather than rushing inside to attack her, Clifford walked back to his car andretrieved the crossbowretrieved the crossbow, lying in wait foran houran hourbefore striking. When she eventually entered the house, heambushed her, bound her with duct tapeambushed her, bound her with duct tape, andsubjected her to a prolonged, violent rapesubjected her to a prolonged, violent rapebefore killing her.

Hannah HuntHannah Hunt, a 28-year-oldbeauticianbeautician, arrived home from work as the attack was unfolding. She hadno time to escapeno time to escape. Clifford shot her with thecrossbowcrossbowbefore she could react. Despite herfatal injuriesfatal injuries, she managed tosend a final distress text to her partnersend a final distress text to her partnerbefore succumbing to her wounds.

John Hunt, theBBC racing commentatorBBC racing commentator, who had unknowingly beenkept alive only because Clifford had waited for him to leave for workkept alive only because Clifford had waited for him to leave for work, delivered apowerful victim impact statementpowerful victim impact statementin court. Quoting fromTo Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird, he compared his wife and daughters to theinnocent creaturesinnocent creaturesin Harper Lee’s novel:

His voice broke as he addressed Clifford directly.

His surviving daughter,Amy HuntAmy Hunt, echoed those words, calling Clifford“inhuman”“inhuman”and dismissing his actions as nothing more than thepetulant rage of a man who could not cope with being rejectedpetulant rage of a man who could not cope with being rejected.

The court heard that Clifford had once aspired to amilitary careermilitary careerbut was deemed afailure by his commanding officersfailure by his commanding officersaftertwo years of servicetwo years of service. They described him aslazy and entirely self-centredlazy and entirely self-centred. He later took up work for acatering companycatering company, where colleagues noted hismisogynistic viewsmisogynistic views. He hadcheated on Louise at least twicecheated on Louise at least twiceduring their relationship, only to beunable to accept her decision to leave himunable to accept her decision to leave him.

John Hunt, still grappling with thescale of his lossscale of his loss, said he believed his life wasonly spared because of Hannah’s actionsonly spared because of Hannah’s actionsinraising the alarmraising the alarmandforcing Clifford to fleeforcing Clifford to flee. The killer was found in acemetery in Enfield, north Londoncemetery in Enfield, north London, havingshot himself with his own crossbowshot himself with his own crossbow. Hesurvived the attemptsurvived the attemptbut is nowparalysed and confined to a wheelchairparalysed and confined to a wheelchair.

As he imposedthree whole life ordersthree whole life orders, ensuring Clifford willnever leave prisonnever leave prison,Mr Justice BennathanMr Justice Bennathanturned toJohn and Amy HuntJohn and Amy Hunt, acknowledging theirextraordinary strengthextraordinary strengththroughout the proceedings.

Outside court,Detective Chief Inspector Nick GardnerDetective Chief Inspector Nick Gardnerpraised the Hunt family’s dignity and condemned Clifford as a“coward”“coward”forrefusing to face sentencingrefusing to face sentencing. He also commended thepolice officers who captured Cliffordpolice officers who captured Clifford, knowing full well he waslikely still armedlikely still armed.

ForKyle CliffordKyle Clifford, there will beno future, no redemption, and no freedomno future, no redemption, and no freedom. Hethought he was the hunterthought he was the hunter. But he willdie in a cage, powerless, forgotten, and alonedie in a cage, powerless, forgotten, and alone.

Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.

Bénédict Tarot FreemanBénédict Tarot Freeman

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