The court heard that Clifford gained entry to the Hunt family’s Bushey home using a “ruse” – a plastic bag full of Louise Hunt’s belongings “to persuade Carol to let him in”
Members of the Hunt family met their grisly end at the hands of Kyle Clifford as dog walkers dropped their pets off for grooming, a court has heard.
Clifford, 26, has plead guilty to the murders of his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah, 28, and mum Carol, 61, after killing them at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in July 2024. He wielded a crossbow to kill the three women in a horrifying attack after a messy breakup with Louise the month prior.
Cambridge Crown Court, where the trial is being held, heard they were attacked after John, a racing commentator for Sky and BBC, had left for work, and Hannah left for her job as a beautician. Customers of dog groomer Louise – who Clifford is accused of raping, a charge he denies – were still filtering down a path to their home as they were violently murdered, the court heard.
On the day of the attack, John went to work and Hannah left the family home for her job as a beautician. Louise, who was working in a “pod” in the garden running her dog grooming business, texted her mum to order lunch on Deliveroo from Joe and the Juice. The court was told an alleyway down the side of the home meant customers to her grooming business were able to drop off their pets completely unaware of what was happening in the house.
At 1.48pm, after parking near the Hunt’s family home, Clifford is said to have noticed John’s car parked outside and searched the internet for “horse racing today”. Clifford took a black rucksack from the boot of his Seat Ibiza which allegedly contained the 10-inch butcher’s knife, Cambridge Crown Court was told.
He was also carrying a white plastic bag containing Louise’s possessions which was a “ruse” to get into the house, the court heard. Mrs Morgan told jurors: “It was a very careful plan to get himself into the address. The plastic bag is the ruse to persuade Carol to let him in the house.”
Clifford knocked on the Hunt’s front door and was greeted by Carol, who he told he had written “a card to say bye”. The conversation was picked up in a recording, and Carol was heard telling Clifford: “Maybe, maybe think in the next relationship… the way you are and maybe try and change (inaudible) If you carry on like this you’ll end up on your own.”
Clifford replied. “I’ve started therapy as well”, before Carol told him: “I don’t think you’re a nasty person.” After the heart-to-heart, Carol then told Clifford, “Well I wish you luck Kyle,” before he asked for a bag to put in Louise’s possession. But jurors were told that within a minute of stepping inside the property after Carol let him in, a series of screams can be heard.
Mrs Morgan told the court: “The defendant committed a violent attack on Carol. As we will come to, Carol sustained significant knife wounds. The evidence suggests that she struggled to get away from the defendant. Although it is not possible to know precisely when Carol died, she is likely to have died rapidly after the infliction of these injuries.”
Mrs Morgan added: “Carol Hunt died before Louise Hunt came to enter the property. Carol Hunt would come to be found in the snug room to the right of the front door.” Unsuspecting customers continued to drop their dogs off at Louise’s grooming business, completely “oblivious” of what had happened inside the property, the court heard.
At 3.07pm, Clifford is said to be caught on CCTV returning to his car to collect a crossbow which he carried hidden under a white blanket.
The trial continues.
