Summary

  • Kyle Clifford, 26, of Enfield, north London, is found guilty of raping Louise Hunt, 25, just before he killed her in July last year

  • He had already admitted shooting her and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow and fatally stabbing their mother, 61-year-old Carol Hunt, at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire

  • Relatives and friends of the Hunt family clapped as the verdict came in, our reporter in court writes

  • Louise ended her relationship with Clifford more than two weeks before the murders, Cambridge Crown Court heard

  • Clifford's attacks were "fuelled" by the "violent misogyny promoted" by social media influencer Andrew Tate, prosecutors said

  • Clifford was not in court and is paralysed from the chest down after shooting himself with the crossbow after the attack

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

  • Clifford is due to be sentenced for the murders and rape on Tuesday, 11 March

Live Reporting

Written by Brian Farmer, Louise Parry and Laura Devlin. Edited by Peter Walker and Andrew Woodger

  1. Ex-boyfriend had 'nasty temper'

    Clifford and Louise had been in a relationship for 18 months after meeting via online dating, the court heard.

    Louise's friends and family "hoped that the relationship would come to an end" after they became concerned about the way Clifford treated her.

    The jury was told Louise had shared with her friends that he had a "nasty temper" and that he behaved in an "aggressive manner", with her sister Hannah deeming him to be "disrespectful, rude and arrogant".

    Louise had said the relationship was "sucking the life out of me", the court heard.

    Mugshot of Clifford, he is looking at the camera and has a thick beard and moustacheHertfordshire Police

  2. 'Cold, calculated' attacks

    After the verdict, the senior investigating officer said that Clifford "simply couldn't deal with what he perceived to be a dent to his pride".

    Det Ch Insp Nick Gardner said he did not think it was the "case of a spurned lover in any way".

    "[He] sought to control the situation with everything that he did, in terms of the weapons purchases, the cold calculated way in which he lay in wait in the house for her and then held her falsely imprisoned for a number of hours."

    Nick Gardner wearing a blue suit jacket and a paisley gold tieHertfordshire Police

  3. Clifford searched Andrew Tate material

    Prosecutors said the "violent misogyny promoted" by controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate "fuelled" Clifford's attacks.

    Clifford searched for Tate's podcast less than 24 hours before the murders, the court was told.

    The court heard how the killer hid the fact he had relationships with other women during his time with Louise, and was signed up to online dating sites Hinge and Bumble.

    The defendant became "enraged" when his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Louise ended their 18-month relationship - leading him to "carefully" plan the 9 July murders.

    Andrew Tate in a turtle neck knitted top walking out of a building with microphones pointing in his directionEPA

    Clifford searched for Andrew Tate's podcast less than 24 hours before the attack

  4. 'Heartfelt sympathies'

    Lisa Kiff, a senior crown prosecutor, said: “Kyle Clifford is a murderer and a rapist who carried out a savage act of violence against three women.

    “His crimes are among the very worst I have encountered in my career.

    “On behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, I want to express my heartfelt sympathies to the Hunt family.

    "I have been personally touched by their strength, dignity and courage in the face of overwhelming trauma."

    A road sign reading Ashlyn Close. Bouquets of flowers are on the grass. A blue car is parked behind, beside a garagePA Media

  5. Multiple offences

    Clifford previously admitted murdering the three women, false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons at a hearing in Cambridge on 22 January.

    He has not yet been sentenced for those charges.

    Kyle Clifford headshot smilingContributed

  6. 'Unspeakable' evidence - judge

    Lucy Manning
    Special correspondent, Cambridge Crown Court

    As the guilty verdict came in, Louise Hunt’s father John and other sister Amy were in the public gallery.

    Family and friends clapped and said "yes" as the verdict came in, and some were in tears.

    Judge Mr Justice Bennathan paid tribute to their "dignity and restraint” as they had to listen to "unspeakable" evidence.

    Clifford didn't give evidence and didn't appear at court.

    Instead he made the Hunt family sit through the horrific evidence, and the details of the "violent, sexual act of spite" Louise Hunt had to endure for three hours in her own home.

  7. Jury verdict was unanimous

    The jury took less than one hour to unanimously find Clifford guilty of raping his ex-partner on the same day he killed her and two members of her family with a crossbow and a knife.

    The trial was told he planned a "murderous" act and an "act of sexual violence" at the Hunts' family home.

    The outside of Cambridge Crown Court with its white logo on the side and a person in a high-vis coat walking past.PA Media

  8. Relatives applaud guilty verdict

    Brian Farmer, Cambridge Crown Court

    The verdict was greeted by applause from relatives sitting in the public gallery.

    The three women were the wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt, who sat in the public gallery along with his daughter Amy.

    The judge told jurors that he aimed to sentence Clifford on Tuesday.

    He paid tribute to the way family members had conducted themselves in court during the hearing.

    John and Carol Hunt standing together at at wedding, wearing smart clothes and laughing togetherContributed

    Carol Hunt's widower John Hunt previously said the family's devastation "cannot be put into words"

  9. Triple killer found guilty of raping ex-partner
    Breaking

    Kyle Clifford has been found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt.

    He has already admitted to killing her with a crossbow, as well as murdering her mother and sister.

  10. Paralysed killer not in court for trial

    Clifford has not appeared in court for his trial.

    He has denied raping ex-girlfriend Louise on 9 July, claiming instead that he had consensual sex with her on 23 June 2024 when they were dating.

    Clifford's DNA was found on Louise, and a forensic scientist said the chance that it was more than 72 hours old was "extremely small".

    Clifford is in custody and is paralysed from the chest down after shooting himself with the crossbow following the murders.

    No defence evidence has been called during the trial, that began on Tuesday.

    Clifford court drawing wearing a white sweater and with a neatly trimmed full beard and moustache, he looks zoned out and unhappyPA Media

    Kyle Clifford at an earlier court appearance

  11. Trial shows CCTV of killer buying rope

    Jurors were shown videos of Clifford on the day of the murders, including footage of him driving to the Hunts' house in Bushey.

    Further CCTV showed him buying rope in a Toolstation store on 28 June and fuel containers in Halfords on 4 July.

    Jurors were told he spent £350 online buying a crossbow and bolt, while he also purchased a “high level butchering knife” and duct tape.

    CCTV shows crossbow killer Kyle Clifford buying rope and fuel cans

  12. Jury retires to consider verdict

    The jury has just been sent out in the rape trial of triple killer Kyle Clifford.

    The 26-year-old has already pleaded guilty to murdering ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her sister, and her mother, but he denies that he raped Louise on the same day at the family home in Hertfordshire.

    The jury at Cambridge Crown Court has been hearing evidence since Tuesday.

    Three individual headshots: left - woman, with brown hair and wearing pink top, smiling; centre - woman with dark hair parted in centre wearing orange top; right - woman with dark hair smiling.Contributed

    The trial heard Clifford killed the women in three separate attacks after tricking his way into their home in Bushey on 9 July 2024