Kyle Clifford, a 26-year-old former British soldier, has been sentenced to a whole-life order for the brutal murders of three women at their family home north of London, Al Jazeera reports.
The sentence, handed down at Cambridge Crown Court on Tuesday, means that Clifford will never be released from prison.
Clifford was convicted of three counts of murder, one count of false imprisonment, and two counts of possession of offensive weapons. He was also found guilty of raping Louise Hunt, his ex-partner, during the “carefully planned” attack. The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of BBC sports commentator John Hunt, and their two daughters, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28.
Justice Joel Bennathan delivered the sentence in Clifford’s absence, as he refused to attend the hearing. The court heard that Clifford meticulously planned the murders for days after Louise ended their 18-month relationship.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing that Clifford gained access to the family home in Bushey, northeast of London, by deceiving Carol Hunt on the pretext of returning Louise’s belongings. He then brutally stabbed her to death.
The court heard that Clifford “lay in wait” for an hour for Louise to enter the house, before restraining, raping, and murdering her with a crossbow. He then fatally shot Hannah Hunt when she returned to the property after work.
Following the murders, police launched a widespread manhunt for Clifford. He was eventually found injured the following day in a cemetery in Enfield, north London, having shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. He remains paralyzed from the chest downwards and confined to a wheelchair.
Ahead of the sentencing, John Hunt expressed his desire to deliver his victim impact statement “eye to eye with Kyle.”
