Kyle Clifford, the crossbow killer who slaughtered three women in a brutal revenge attack, has been given a whole life sentence
By Ben Freeman.
Kyle Clifford, the crossbow killer who murdered three women in an act of calculated, misogynistic violence, will die in prison after being handed a rare whole life order at Cambridge Crown Court. The 26-year-old, who murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her mother Carol, and her sister Hannah in a meticulously planned attack, refused to leave his cell at HMP Belmarsh to face justice. His absence was condemned by the families he destroyed, with John Hunt, husband and father of the victims, telling Clifford directly:
“When you finally die, you will go to hell.”
Sentencing Clifford in his absence, Mr Justice Bennathan left no doubt about the killer’s character.
"The evidence I have heard shows you to be a jealous man soaked in self-pity, a man who holds women in utter contempt," he told the court.
Describing the attacks as “brutal and cowardly,” the judge rejected any notion that Clifford had shown even the slightest remorse. The court heard how Clifford had spent months stalking and monitoring the Hunt family, studying John Hunt’s work schedule to ensure he would be absent when he struck. After being rejected by Louise, Clifford allowed his obsessive resentment to fester, immersing himself in misogynistic online content, including videos from disgraced influencer Andrew Tate, before setting his plan into motion.
On July 9 last year, Clifford arrived at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, armed with a knife and duct tape, as well as a crossbow stowed away in his car. At the door, he was met by Carol Hunt, a woman who had shown him nothing but kindness. She offered him words of guidance in those final moments before he responded by plunging a knife into her body eight times.
Louise, working in a garden pod, remained unaware of her mother’s fate. Rather than rushing inside to attack her, Clifford walked back to his car and retrieved the crossbow, lying in wait for an hour before striking. When she eventually entered the house, he ambushed her, bound her with duct tape, and subjected her to a prolonged, violent rape before killing her.
Hannah Hunt, a 28-year-old beautician, arrived home from work as the attack was unfolding. She had no time to escape. Clifford shot her with the crossbow before she could react. Despite her fatal injuries, she managed to send a final distress text to her partner before succumbing to her wounds.
“You first killed her mother Carol, who even on that day showed you nothing but kindness in the moments before you attacked her,” the judge told Clifford. “You raped and killed Louise, who had been as gentle as she could in ending her relationship with you, after your arrogance and anger proved too much for her to stand. Then you murdered Hannah Hunt, who had done nothing to harm you save supporting her little sister.”
John Hunt, the BBC racing commentator, who had unknowingly been kept alive only because Clifford had waited for him to leave for work, delivered a powerful victim impact statement in court. Quoting from To Kill a Mockingbird, he compared his wife and daughters to the innocent creatures in Harper Lee’s novel:
“All their lives Carol, Hannah and Louise similarly spent their time bringing joy and colour and happiness to other people’s lives. You killed three beautiful Mockingbirds, Kyle.”
His voice broke as he addressed Clifford directly.
“Whatever sentence you are about to receive, whatever misery lies ahead for you for the next 60 years, remember that after your days on earth are done, on your dying day, there will be no release for you. The screams of Hell, Kyle, I can hear them faintly now. The red carpet will come out for you. At that point, when the person you could have been meets the person you are, you will realise your miserable fate will last for eternity.”
His surviving daughter, Amy Hunt, echoed those words, calling Clifford “inhuman” and dismissing his actions as nothing more than the petulant rage of a man who could not cope with being rejected.
The court heard that Clifford had once aspired to a military career but was deemed a failure by his commanding officers after two years of service. They described him as lazy and entirely self-centred. He later took up work for a catering company, where colleagues noted his misogynistic views. He had cheated on Louise at least twice during their relationship, only to be unable to accept her decision to leave him.
John Hunt, still grappling with the scale of his loss, said he believed his life was only spared because of Hannah’s actions in raising the alarm and forcing Clifford to flee. The killer was found in a cemetery in Enfield, north London, having shot himself with his own crossbow. He survived the attempt but is now paralysed and confined to a wheelchair.
As he imposed three whole life orders, ensuring Clifford will never leave prison, Mr Justice Bennathan turned to John and Amy Hunt, acknowledging their extraordinary strength throughout the proceedings.
“They showed a gentle heroism of which you, Kyle Clifford, can only dream.”
Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner praised the Hunt family’s dignity and condemned Clifford as a “coward” for refusing to face sentencing. He also commended the police officers who captured Clifford, knowing full well he was likely still armed.
“These officers acted with immense bravery, knowing that he had killed three people just hours earlier.”
For Kyle Clifford, there will be no future, no redemption, and no freedom. He thought he was the hunter. But he will die 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.
Bénédict Tarot Freeman
Editor-at-Large
VPN City-Desk
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