Kyle Clifford: Triple killer gets whole life sentence for murdering BBC commentator John Hunt's family

The 26-year-old former soldier previously admitted the murders of 25-year-old Louise Hunt, 28-year-old Hannah Hunt and their 61-year-old mother Carol Hunt, the wife of BBC racing commentator John Hunt. He also admitted the false imprisonment of Louise and two counts of possession of offensive weapons – the crossbow and the knife.

Clifford was also found guilty by a jury last week for the rape of Louise, who had broken up with him 13 days before the four-hour attack in the Hunt family home in Bushey, Hartfordshire on July 9 last year.

The court heard that Clifford began planning the murders after Louise ended their 18-month relationship via text message on June 26. He later restrained her with duct tape, held her captive for more than two hours, and raped her before fatally shooting her in the chest with a crossbow just moments before her sister, Hannah, arrived home and was also killed.

After carrying out the attack, Clifford fled the scene and turned the weapon on himself as armed police closed in. He survived but is now paralysed from the chest down. The jury was not informed that less than 24 hours before the murders, he had searched for Andrew Tate’s podcast.

Earlier, Clifford “refused” to be present for the sentencing hearing either in person or by video-link.

Sentencing Clifford to a whole-life order, judge Mr Justice Bennathan said of Clifford: “The evidence I have heard shows you to be a jealous man soaked in self-pity – a man who holds women in utter contempt. This is no occasion to subject family and friends of your victims to any delay or suspense.

“I therefore make clear at once that for each of these three murders, the sentence will be one of life imprisonment with a whole-life order. That means a sentence from which you will never be released.”

Mr Justice Bennathan continued: “Your brutal and cowardly attack had been planned over about 11 days. You conducted extensive research into the movements of Louise’s father John, into her mother’s Facebook page, into buying a crossbow, a knife and an air pistol, and even into the weather on the day of the attack.”

The judge added that Clifford wrote letters to his own family that were “dripping with self-pity”. Addressing the victim impact statements made by John and surviving daughter Amy Hunt, he added: “They showed a gentle heroism of which you, Kyle Clifford, can only dream.”