Man charged with murders of wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt

Kyle Clifford has appeared in court this morning, charged with the murders of Hannah, Louise and Carol Hunt, in Bushey, Hertfordshire, as Chloe Keedy reports

A 26-year-old man accused of killing the wife and two daughters of a BBC racing commentator John Hunt in a crossbow attack has appeared in court today.

Kyle Clifford was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and then at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday afternoon following the incident in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9.

Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah, 28, had been shot with a crossbow and their mother Carol Hunt , 61, had been stabbed with a knife and suffered multiple injuries, the court was told.

Clifford has been remanded into custody, and will appear at the Royal Courts of Justice this afternoon.

He has been under arrest since July 10, but police were unable to speak to him while he received treatment for an injury in hospital.

Kyle Clifford's charges

Kyle Clifford has been charged with three counts of murder, false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons, Chief Magistrate, District Judge Paul Goldspring, said.

The charges Kyle Clifford faces were read out in full in court.

On counts one to three, Clifford is accused of murdering Hannah Hunt, Carol Hunt and Louise Hunt on July 9 in Ashlyn Close, Bushey.

The 26-year-old also faces two counts of possession of an offensive weapon – one a 10-inch butcher’s knife and the other a compound crossbow.

The defendant faces a final count of false imprisonment which alleges that he “assaulted and unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned Louise Hunt and detained her against her will”.

A date has not been set for his trial has not been set because of inquiries being made about a suitable court for him to be tried in as a wheelchair user.

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Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “Our thoughts remain with the Hunt family and their loved ones as they continue to come to terms with their loss.

“Over the past couple of months, we have been working hard to gather as much evidence as possible and establish the full circumstances of what happened that day.

“Today, we have managed to secure charges against Kyle Clifford in connection with the murders of Carol, Hannah and Louise Hunt.

“Although it has taken some time to reach this stage, we can now move forward with the judicial process and seek justice for their family.”

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