Bushey crossbow killer planned attack after being ‘rejected’ | UK News

A 26-year-old man planned a murderous attack on his ex-partner’s family after being rejected and rebuffed, a prosecutor has told a trial.

Kyle Clifford murdered former partner Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah Hunt, and their mother Carol Hunt at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July 2024, Alison Morgan KC said.

She also told Cambridge Crown Court that Clifford had restrained and raped Louise.

Clifford, of Enfield, north London, admitted murder, false imprisonment and possession of offensive weapons, but denied rape.

Miss Morgan gave detail of the attacks when opening the prosecution at Clifford’s rape trial on Tuesday.

Carol, 61, was stabbed to death and Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, suffered fatal crossbow bolt injuries at their house in Ashlyn Close.

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

Clifford admitted three murder charges in Cambridge in January.

Miss Morgan said Clifford accepted that he had murdered the three women and been “unlawfully in possession of a knife and a crossbow”.

She said he also accepted that he had falsely imprisoned Louise Hunt and restrained her against her will.

“The only issue for you to determine is that of rape,” Miss Morgan told jurors.

“During the course of this prolonged incident, the prosecution alleges that the defendant raped Louise Hunt.

“It was a violent, sexual act of spite, before he then killed her.”

She added: “You will have to determine that allegation against him.

“He denies that he raped Louise Hunt on 9 July of last year.”

Miss Morgan said the Hunt family lived in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, at the time of “these events”.

She added: “Louise Hunt ran her dog grooming business from a pod situated in the rear garden of the address. Hannah Hunt worked as a beauty therapist locally. Carol Hunt was at home during the daytime.”

Miss Morgan said Mr Hunt, who is a racing commentator and works for the , had one “surviving daughter”, Amy Hunt.

Miss Morgan added: “He was working on 9 July 2024 and was not present at the address during that day, a fact which was checked by the defendant during the course of these events, by searching online to see what racing events were taking place that day.”

Miss Morgan said Clifford and Louise had met on a dating website and been in a relationship for about 18 months.

“Louise Hunt is described by her friends in the highest terms as being a caring, positive and happy person, who was hardworking and who had developed her own business, ‘Groom and Glow’,” Miss Morgan told jurors.

“However, friends and family were concerned about the effect of her relationship with the defendant.”

Louise had told one friend that Clifford had a “nasty temper” and there had been a “number of incidents” where he had “behaved in an aggressive manner”, the trial heard.

A family member found Clifford to be “odd”. They were concerned about Louise’s relationship with the defendant and the way that he treated her, Miss Morgan said.

Miss Morgan added: “Hannah Hunt had said the family found the defendant to be disrespectful, rude and arrogant.

“They hoped that the relationship would come to an end.”

The prosecutor said Louise instigated the end of the relationship, supported by friends and family.

She told the court Clifford had relationships with “other women” and hid them from Louise.

Clifford tried to “rekindle” the relationship but was rebuffed by Louise and the “rejection” had “angered” him.

Miss Morgan said he was angry at Louise and her family generally, as he “correctly assumed” that friends and family members had advised Louise to end the relationship.

Miss Morgan said Clifford set about “planning an attack” on the Hunt family.

In late June 2024, Louise had “made it clear” to Clifford that she did not consider his “behaviour” to be “acceptable”, Miss Morgan added.

Louise had said the relationship was “sucking the life out of me” and made it clear that she was “finishing” with Clifford.

On 26 June 2024, she had written: “… I’m sorry Kyle but I feel I can’t continue with what we have, I feel like it has 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 .

“I don’t know that in the future if we both do the work on ourselves this could be something amazing, but I just feel right now I owe it to myself to take some space and walk away for my own sanity and health.

“Thank you for the incredible time we’ve had this year, I hope you know how much I love you and still will for a long time . I never want there to be anything nasty between us ever. Take care of yourself always please.”

Miss Morgan said Clifford appeared to accept “this position”.

But she said, in the days that followed, it became clear that he had not accepted the break-up.

She said he began to “plan the attack that would take place on 9 July 2024”.

She said Clifford also created a telephone note, which appeared to be a “suicide letter”, addressed to relatives.

But she said he made no suicide, or self-harm attempt, before mounting his attack.

Clifford was not at the trial and the judge told jurors he had opted not to attend.

He previously served in the military from 2019 for around three years.

Following the murders, he became the subject of a manhunt for a number of hours before he was found injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery, in Enfield, after shooting himself in the chest with the crossbow.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, previously told jurors that it would be “fundamentally wrong” to think that Clifford must be guilty of “anything else” because he had admitted murder.

The trial continues.