A British court has found 26-year-old Kyle Clifford guilty of raping his ex-girlfriend before murdering her, along with her mother and sister, in a brutal crossbow and stabbing attack.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61, in their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024. However, he denied raping Louise before killing her.
On Thursday, a jury at Cambridge Crown Court convicted him of the additional charge.
The prosecution described Clifford’s actions as a violent, sexual act of spite, stating that he had carefully planned the attack after Louise ended their 18-month relationship.
After stabbing Carol Hunt to death, Clifford reportedly “lay in wait” for Louise, tied her up, raped her, and then killed her with a crossbow before murdering Hannah when she returned home from work.
Prosecutors also revealed that Clifford, a former soldier, had searched for a podcast by controversial social media figure Andrew Tate less than 24 hours before the murders. They argued that his crimes were influenced by the “violent misogyny promoted” by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called the crimes “almost unspeakable” and described them as dreadful. Clifford’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday.
