Cowardly triple killer Kyle Clifford has been sentenced to die in jail – and warned he will be welcomed in hell that day.
John Hunt – whose wife and daughters were slaughtered at home – told him: ‘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.’
Kyle – in a wheelchair after a suicide bid – refused to be in court to get three whole life terms for murdering ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah, 28, and their mum Carol, 61.
Prison officials considered forcing him, but were overruled by judge Mr Justice Bennathan, saying if he ‘lacks the courage to face the court then so be it’.
In an act of compassion, the judge gave his sentence before making his remarks, telling Cambridge crown court: ‘This is no occasion to subject family and friends of your victims to any delay or suspense.’
He told former soldier Clifford, 26, he was ‘a jealous man, soaked in self-pity, who holds women in utter contempt’.
Clifford tricked his way into the Hunts’ home in Bushey on July 9, after Louise ended the 18-month relationship over concerns about his behaviour.
He stabbed Carol to death, then tied up and raped Louise before killing her with a crossbow. When Hannah arrived, he shot her too. She texted an alert before dying at the scene.
He was also given a concurrent 20 years for rape, which he had denied, eight years for false imprisonment and one each for weapon offences.
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'Louise's bravery is a beacon for women'
Moving words in John Hunt’s impact statement echoed Metro’s This Is Not Right campaign – a year-long effort to help combat misogyny and rising violence against women.
Mr Hunt told the court: ‘I often think of the list Louise wrote to herself to remind her of the reasons that you fell short.
‘The racism. She was rightly disgusted by that. Your belittling language. The fact that your family is a mess.
‘Like any women should be allowed to do, she worked you out despite repeated deceit and said enough is enough.
‘I hope women around the world will take Louise’s bravery as a shining beacon for their lives. If you feel enough is enough, then it is.’
BBC racing broadcaster Mr Hunt told the court in his impact statement: ‘I so wished to deliver these words eye to eye, Kyle.’
Fighting tears, he contrasted Clifford’s four hours with his family to his own.
‘I also spent four hours with them Kyle – in the funeral directors.
‘The usual room wasn’t big enough for three bodies but they removed a partition wall so we could be together.
‘I sat for a while with Louise to my right, so peaceful, and Hannah to my left. I couldn’t quite reach to hold their hands at the same time.
‘I thanked Carol for being such a wonderful partner in life and wonderful mother. I stroked her hair and told her how much I loved her. They were my four hours Kyle.’
He said ‘my incredible Hansie’ gave him a second chance.
‘Had she not managed to show such amazing physical and mental strength in raising the alarm… I would have been your fourth victim that day.’
Eldest daughter Amy broke down as she told Clifford: ‘You planned to take the lives of three women who never did anything to hurt you, and for what? You got dumped.
‘You had a choice, and you chose to inflict violence on a horrific scale, all for your own selfish and sadistic aims. You are a monster.’
John Hunt's powerful impact statement in full
Here is John Hunt’s statement in full:
‘My name is John Hunt and I am blessed to be Carol’s husband and Hannah, Louise and Amy’s Dad.
‘I so wanted to deliver these words, eye to eye with Kyle. I will continue to act as if I am doing so.
‘When I was first invited to provide a victim impact statement I initially misunderstood its purpose.
‘Do I really need to detail the impact of having three quarters of my family murdered?
‘But then I realised that this was my final opportunity to say what I want to say to you specifically, Kyle, words that will also be directed to your family who will carry guilt forward for the rest of their lives; I know you valued them so poorly from all the conversations we had Kyle but I suppose even they must be damaged by what you have done.
‘I also want to confirm to the world the truth, especially how Louise conducted herself within a textbook, mature breakup on her part, understanding the conflict of saying goodbye to someone she once loved but not allowing those memories to cloud her certain knowledge that you simply failed to be the person she needed. You failed.
‘I am so proud of all of my girls.
‘Unlike you, Kyle, at every step of their lives they made the correct choices to improve themselves as people; Louise enjoyed more success and fulfilment in one morning than you achieved in your entire miserable life.
‘Do you recall Kyle, how kind we all were to you?
‘Helping you and Louise enjoy trips away, do you remember how she loved a swanky hotel?
‘You were always invited to meals out.
‘A Sunday lunch at the pub or a special celebration, you were always made welcome.
‘The only Christmas you spent together was at our house. Was it four or five days you spent with us?
‘The food, the games, the laughter, the normality…what was it about that blissful existence you hated so much, Kyle?
‘Could you not handle how pleasant it was, such a contrast to what you were used to.
‘The trips to Italy, Disneyland and many more; Louise gave your relationship so much effort which you were never able or willing to match.
‘We all offered you kindness, especially Carol.
‘She had picked up on your personal inadequacies right from the start.
‘She sensed your immaturity but always knew Louise would work things out.
‘Carol still displayed her compassion right up until the moment she answered the door to you on July 9.
‘Do you remember her kindness Kyle; how she urged you to get some relationship help and guidance for fear that you would never be able to sustain a lasting relationship.
‘You calmly accepted that advice on the doorstep and then, seconds later savagely stabbed her eight times and ended her life.
(Picture: Facebook)
‘When I challenge myself about how you were able to deceive us all, I simply say that you are a psychopath who, for the duration of your time together with Louise, was able to disguise yourself as an ordinary human being.
‘You reserved your best, make-believe version of yourself for the times you were in our house.
‘You managed to maintain that veneer of decency throughout the first year of your time with Louise, but you couldn’t maintain it in the early part of 2024.
‘Although Carol and I never witnessed any alarming behaviour, your visits became less frequent.
‘You began the first of two affairs that we know about, your aversion to a day’s hard work continued as you messed up yet another job at Reynolds.
‘It wasn’t only the Army that found you worthless.
‘I often think of the list Louise wrote to herself to remind her of the reasons that you fell short. The racism. She was rightly disgusted by that.
‘Your belittling language. The fact that your family is a mess.
‘Like any women should be allowed to do, she worked you out despite repeated deceit and said enough is enough.
‘I hope women around the world will take Louise’s bravery as a shining beacon for their lives. If you feel enough is enough, then it is.
‘I’d like to remind you Kyle, of how gracious Louise was to you in that final text to you.
‘This is what she said on the 26th June, the morning after she had finished with you face to face.
‘She texted you thanking you for what was a wonderful year together, explaining how much she once loved you, that she never wanted any animosity to develop between you and that she wanted you to take care of yourself.
‘You texted back saying “Thank you for the clarity Louise, so we can both start our healing process. I love you so much and I will for a very long time. I will always be here for you if you ever need me, please don’t hesitate. I wish you all the best and take care of yourself too”.
‘The difference was, we know now, that Louise meant every word whereas you simply lied.
‘You didn’t love her enough to stop you having those two affairs in the spring of last year?
‘Or to start planning to kill her and her family just days later. And that a horrific rape on her was part of the plan. Your levels of misogyny are off the scale.
‘Louise’s favourite novel from her schooldays was Harper Lee’s classic, to Kill a Mockingbird.
‘She was captivated by the goodness of Atticus Finch both as a father and a lawyer.
‘She would often quote lines from the novel to match life’s challenges.
‘One of those quotes that comes to mind, right here in this moment is that of Miss Maudie reasserting Atticus’ assertion that it’s a sin to Kill a Mockingbird. She said ‘Your fathers right. Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except make music for us to enjoy.
‘They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corn cribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird.
‘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.
‘So, to remind you, over a period of four hours you brutally killed Carol, waited over an hour until Louise came into the house.
‘You incapacitated her, raped her and when you realised Hannah was coming home, you shot Louise in the back. I can’t imagine a more cowardly act. You couldn’t look her in the eye. You murdered Hannah minutes later. So four hours.
‘A few weeks later I also spent four hours with them Kyle; in the funeral directors.
‘The usual room wasn’t big enough for three bodies but they removed a partition wall so we could all be together.
‘I sat for a while with Louise to my right, she looked so peaceful and Hannah to my left. I couldn’t quite reach to hold their hands at the same time.
‘Amy and I placed a photograph of Chester in Louise’s’ right hand. Carol was at the top of the room.
‘She was dressed in a beautiful orange dress she had bought for a wedding we went to a month beforehand. I stroked her hair and told her how much I loved her. I thanked her for being such a wonderful partner in life and wonderful mother. They were my four hours Kyle.
‘And what about me? The impact of what you have done will be taken to my grave but on the way there, I want you to know that I stand strong before you today.
‘As you are consigned to a fate far greater than death, I can draw on the love and strength that I still feel from the girls in every moment of every day. I am lucky. I have the most wonderful daughter, Amy who gives me such focus and purpose.
‘I have Gareth and Alex. I have my extended family, reaching far beyond my Mum, brothers and sister, aunts and uncles and cousins. I have many friends who watch out for me on an hourly basis.
‘Carol’s friends are mine and I now have a renewed relationship with Hannah’s and Louise’s best friends. I will always be there for them and they will be there for me too. So whilst I am so badly damaged, I am determined to see what my future is, surrounded by so many amazing people.
‘And the chance to do has been gifted to me by my incredible Hannah. I firmly believe that, had she not managed to show such amazing physical and mental strength in raising the alarm after you fatally injured her, then I would have been your fourth victim that day.
‘Hannah handed me a second chance, one that she worked so hard to achieve for me. Do you really think after what she did for me, I will slight her memory and example by just giving up? Even though the days are difficult and feel on many occasions, impossible, I will channel my inner Atticus Finch at all times. He said: “I want you to see what real courage is. Instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, it’s when you know you are licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what”.
‘And now comes the time when your fate on this earth will be confirmed.
‘Every single person in the world, I’m thinking of mothers and fathers in particular, especially those daughters, now expects the formality of a life sentence.
‘Never again to make choices of your own. To breathe fresh air only occasionally. To eat when someone else tells you to eat. But just remember one thing. 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.’
Mr Justice Bennathan said the Hunts ‘showed a gentle heroism of which you, Kyle Clifford, can only dream’.
During his trial, jurors heard an ‘enraged’ Clifford started plotting the attack on July 9 last year days after Louise called an end to their 18-month relationship.
Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told them: ‘If he could not have her, no one else was going to, and he was going to take her family down with her.’
In the days before the attack, he had searched online for how to purchase a crossbow and accessed pornography.
Less than 24 hours before the murders, Clifford searched for the ‘violent misogyny promoted’ by controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate’s podcast.
The judge ruled jurors could not be told about the Tate videos because it would be ‘deeply prejudicial’, saying Mr Tate was ‘almost a poster boy for misogynists’.
Ms Morgan told the court today that a friend of Louise’s confronted Clifford about him watching one of Tate’s videos ‘which showed animals who had been drugged’.
The prosecutor said: ‘She asked the defendant why he was watching this – he said that it was funny.’
Addressing Clifford’s search for Tate’s podcast the day before the murders, Ms Morgan said: ‘As my Lord correctly noted… Andrew Tate can properly be described as a poster boy for misogynists – a poster boy for those who view women as possession to be controlled.
‘In that context, and in light of all the other background material, it is no coincidence, the prosecution submit, that it was Andrew Tate that the defendant turned to the night before he would go off to commit these acts of violence against women.’
Clifford spent £350 ordering the crossbow, six bolts and a cocking device online. He also ordered an air gun, which never arrived, along with duct tape, a ‘high level butchering knife’ for £89 and a length of rope.
He gained access to the family home by deceiving Carol Hunt by claiming he was there to drop off some of Louise’s belongings.
After killing her in a ‘brutal’ attack, he ‘lay in wait’ for an hour for Louise to enter the house, before restraining, raping and ultimately murdering her with a crossbow.
He then fatally shot Hannah when she returned to the property in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close after work.
Abigail Ampofo, Interim CEO at Refuge, said: ‘It is shocking to many that dangerous weapons, like crossbows, can be accessed without proper registration or licensing, and we welcome the Government’s continued consideration of tightening laws around such weapons.
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‘However, we must be clear: the real danger comes from the perpetrator, not just the tools they use. Tragically, we know that in domestic homicides, perpetrators will use whatever means they have at their disposal to carry out their violence.
‘The focus must continue to be on tackling violence against women and girls, addressing the misogynistic culture that enables these acts, and ensuring that those who perpetrate such violence are held accountable.
‘A woman is killed by a partner or ex-partner every five days, most often in her own home, and today’s sentencing serves as a tragic reminder of this ongoing crisis.’
For anyone experiencing domestic abuse, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 2000 247.
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