Latest news with #Bushey
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
After his wife and two daughters were murdered, John Hunt's dignity is humbling
What does bravery look like in 2025? Truthfully, it looks a lot like an ordinary middle-aged man getting up every morning and going to work, returning to his home at the end of the day and repeating it. Not so different from millions of his peers. Except every time BBC racing commentator John Hunt leaves his house, he is striking a blow for goodness and hope in the face of the most unspeakable evil, the most gut-wrenching horror imaginable. Last July, the BBC racing commentator's wife Carol, 61 and his daughters Hannah, aged 28 and Louise, 25, were slaughtered with a knife and crossbow at the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire. The monster who carried out this heinous crime was Kyle Clifford, Louise's 26-year-old ex-boyfriend, who was sentenced to a whole life order for the murders, meaning he will, quite rightly, never be released. Nor will Hunt ever escape from the memory of what happened in the house where he and his remaining adult daughter, Amy, still live. Last night, they gave their first interview to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC One – and it was the most humbling and astonishingly life-affirming display of dignity and courage I can recall. Almost a year on, John speaks to his murdered family every day. 'Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, 'Girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment',' he told Derbyshire. 'As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They're very close to me all the time.' It is their legacy of love that has kept him and his surviving daughter going, he said. For Amy, speaking on camera was a way to 'breathe life back into my mum, Hannah, and Louise as fully rounded people' and show the world they were more than a statistic. Kyle Clifford had been in their home, had accepted their hospitality many times during his 18-month relationship with Louise. But after she ended things, he turned up and stabbed Carol with a 10-inch butcher's knife before hiding her body. Then he waited over an hour for Louise to come in from the back garden, where she was working in her dog grooming pod. When she walked in the door he gagged, restrained and raped her before killing her with a crossbow. Her elder sister Hannah returned home seconds after Louise was killed – whereupon Clifford shot her fatally before fleeing. But before she died she somehow managed to text a friend and call the police to alert them to what was happening. John believes that call saved his life – he felt certain that Clifford planned to kill him too. 'Her doing that has given me life,' he said. 'And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis. I get to live. Hannah gave me that, and I've got to treat it as a gift from her.' And so he has carried on living. Not just for the sake of Hannah, Louise and Carol but for the sake of Amy. Clifford was too much of a coward to turn up in court to hear his sentencing; at the time John issued a pledge: ' I want you to see what real courage is,' he said, vowing to carry on 'no matter what'. That is bravery. That is integrity. That is the power of love in the midst of loss.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Amy Hunt says murder of mother and sisters was ‘rooted in misogyny'
Amy Hunt, whose mother and two sisters were murdered in their home last year, has said the attack was 'rooted in misogyny', calling for radical societal changes to address the 'epidemic' of violence against women and young girls. Amy's mother, Carol, 61, and sisters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were killed in July by Kyle Clifford, her youngest sister's former partner. The three women were the wife and daughters of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt. Clifford, 26, from Enfield, north London, fatally stabbed Carol after he followed her into her home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, under the pretence he was bringing over some of his former partner's belongings. He then waited for Louise to arrive, before raping her and using a crossbow to shoot her and Hannah. Speaking to the BBC in their first interview since the murders, Amy said: 'Violence against women and girls in all its forms … doesn't have to be as catastrophic as this, because it happens in small ways every single day. 'We've got a serious obligation as a society to change men's behaviour because this is a man's issue – it's not a woman's issue.' Asked whether Clifford's attack was fuelled by the social media content of Andrew Tate, whose videos he had watched in the days before the murders, Amy said: 'I think it's ridiculous to say that Kyle Clifford was not capable of murder, watched Andrew Tate, and became capable of murder and rape. 'We live in society that in many cases emboldens misogyny, allows misogyny to fester. It's not just Andrew Tate, there are many subsets of Andrew Tate on social media.' Issuing a message to 'young women in a troubled relationship', John Hunt said: 'Try and find the strength to extricate yourself from that, because you deserve so much better.' John called for young boys to begin receiving education about misogyny from as early as nursery. He said: 'I think schools should have far more freedom to explain, get young boys to behave correctly towards women, at the earliest possible age. I mean nursery age.' John described media reports claiming Hannah and Clifford had an 'abusive' relationship as 'ill-informed' and 'off-the-scale inaccurate'. He said Clifford 'violated us and our family in the most horrific of ways, but what those stories felt like was a continued violation'. Reflecting on her mother and sisters, Amy said: 'They are the representation of all things good. 'They worked hard, loved hard, had fun, travelled, went and did the things they loved, spent time with the people they loved, were kind, caring, considerate. 'They don't stop being your sisters, your mum, when they pass away. I'll always be one of three sisters, we'll always be a family of five.' Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at
National Post
2 days ago
- National Post
BBC commentator whose family was murdered with a crossbow by his daughter's ex speaks out for the first time
John Hunt, a man whose wife and two daughters were murdered in a crossbow attack, is speaking out for the first time in an interview published by the BBC on Wednesday. Article content On July 9, 2024, Hunt's 61-year-old wife Carol, as well as his daughters, 25-year-old Louise and 28-year-old Hannah, were killed. The suspect was Louise's ex-boyfriend, Kyle Clifford, who was later arrested. He pleaded guilty, and in March, was convicted of fatally stabbing Carol before he raped Louise and then killed the sisters at their family home in Bushey, north of London, with a crossbow. He received three life sentences, the BBC reported. Article content Article content Article content Hunt, who is a BBC racing commentator, sat down with the publication alongside his third daughter, Amy. Article content Article content 'When it happened I thought, 'How on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again?'' he said. 'It's fine to sit with that thought in the wreckage of what was our personal disaster. But you come to realize that, with a little bit of work, you can find some light again.' Article content Hunt and Amy said they didn't want to speak out earlier because the intense, and sometimes inaccurate, media coverage after the murders 'added to their pain,' per the BBC. They didn't want their family to be 'defined by their deaths.' Article content 'From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them,' said Hunt. 'Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, 'Girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment.' As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They're very close to me all the time.' Article content Amy revealed a touching memory with her sisters around two months before the horrific murders. She said they had gone out to dinner together and were so grateful for the lives they got to lead. They discussed how lucky they were to 'have had the parents we've had and the life we've had,' she said. Article content Article content My wife and daughters left behind a legacy of love, John Hunt tells BBC — Victoria Derbyshire (@vicderbyshire) June 26, 2025 Article content She told the BCC, at the time, there was no indication that Clifford was capable of such crimes. Although, the BBC reported, the relationship eventually 'started to sour' between Clifford and Louise. It ended in late June, when Louise broke up with him. Article content Article content Clifford went to the Hunt's family home on the day of the murders, reportedly to return some of Louise's belongings. He had a brief and cordial interaction with Carol, which was captured on the family's doorbell camera. He then followed Carol inside and stabbed her to death. When Louise arrived, her raped her and used a crossbow to kill her. Then, Hannah arrived and he killed her with a crossbow. Article content Before Hannah died, she texted her boyfriend and called police. Hunt said he believes Hannah's actions saved his life, as he was likely intended to be a victim of Clifford's as well.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
John Hunt says he still talks to murdered wife and daughters ‘every day'
BBC racing commentator John Hunt has said he still speaks to his wife and two daughters daily after they were murdered in a crossbow and knife attack at their family home. Kyle Clifford, 26, killed his ex-partner Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61, in a quiet cul-de-sac in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9 last year. A trial heard Clifford became 'enraged' when Louise ended their 18-month relationship, leading him to 'carefully' plan the attack. He was sentenced to a whole-life order at Cambridge Crown Court in March after pleading guilty to the murders, while he was later convicted of raping Louise in a 'violent, sexual act of spite'. Giving their first interviews since the murders, Mr Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy Hunt said they were both keen to keep the spirit of their loved ones alive. Mr Hunt told BBC News: 'From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them. 'Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, ' Girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment'. As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. So yeah, very close (to me) all the time.' Amy Hunt said: 'My mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford. 'I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people.' Clifford gained access to the family home by deceiving Mrs Hunt into thinking he was returning some of Louise's things, then stabbed her to death in a brutal knife attack. After killing Mrs Hunt, the defendant waited for an hour for Louise to enter the house, then restrained, raped and murdered her with a crossbow. He then fatally shot Hannah Hunt with the weapon when she returned to the property after work. Amy said there was nothing in Clifford's behaviour leading up to the incident that suggested he was capable of committing such crimes, but it had become clear by the end of his relationship with Louise that he was 'not that nice of a person'. She said: 'Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not.' Mr Hunt said: 'He never once hit her. He was in the house an awful lot in that 18 months – I never heard raised voices once.' He said he recalled his three daughters going out for sushi a few weeks prior to the attack, before Hannah said on their return 'how lucky' they had been as a family. Mr Hunt added: 'It's a beautiful thing to recall. It was a beautiful thing to hear at the same time.' Hannah was able to message her boyfriend and call 999 in the moments before she died in the attack, telling them what had happened and who was responsible. Asked if his daughter's actions had saved his life, Mr Hunt said: 'That's what I believe. 'I said it in court and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis.' He added: 'I get to live. Hannah gave me that, and I've got to treat it as a gift from her.' Clifford refused to attend his sentencing in person or via video link and was not ordered to be forcibly brought before the court as the judge believed he may have disrupted proceedings. Amy said the act was evidence there was 'consistently a system that prioritises the perpetrator', adding: 'That's a traumatising thing for so many people.' Mr Hunt, who still lives in the family home, said his return to commentary work had helped him move forward in the months after the sentencing. He said: 'When it happened I thought, 'How on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again?' 'It's fine to sit with that thought in the wreckage of what was our personal disaster. 'But you come to realise that, with a little bit of work, you can find some light again.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
BBC star John Hunt says ‘I still talk to them every day' after crossbow murder of wife and daughters
BBC racing commentator John Hunt broke down in an emotional interview opening up for the first time about the murder of his wife and two daughters. In a heartbreaking chat with his daughter Amy, Mr Hunt said his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Hannah and Louise, leave behind a 'legacy of love'. Kyle Clifford, 26, killed his ex-partner Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61, in a quiet cul-de-sac in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9July last year. Speaking publicly for the first time since the murders, Mr Hunt revealed he still speaks to them every day and his wife and daughters had lived a life of 'complete happiness'. He told the BBC: "From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them. "Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, 'girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment'. 'As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They're very close to me all the time." Mr Hunt and Amy decided to speak out for the first time because they do not want to be defined by the deaths of their family. They also said the initial reporting of the deaths was inaccurate, and it added to their grief. "I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people,' Amy added. The BBC 5 Live horse racing commentator said he also rejects the reports that Louise was in an abusive relationship with Clifford. They said the family were very close and talked all the time, sharing everything with each other. Louise owned a dog grooming business, and Hannah worked in beauty and aesthetics. Their life was "one of complete happiness - awash with it, really,' Mr Hunt said. Amy recalled going out to sushi with her two sisters one evening and said: "We were talking about how lucky we'd been as a family. "To have had the parents we've had and the life we've had." John thought back to when Amy had returned home and told him and Carol what they had discussed. "It's a beautiful thing to recall,' he said. "It was a beautiful thing to hear at the time." Clifford gained access to the family home by deceiving Carol Hunt, then stabbed her to death. It was less than two weeks after Louise had broken up with him. After killing Mrs Hunt, he waited for an hour for Louise to enter the house, then restrained, raped and murdered her with a crossbow. He then fatally shot Hannah Hunt when she returned to the property in the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, after work. Mr Hunt said Hannah had saved his life by sending a text to her boyfriend before she died, which alerted the police to who committed the murders. The racing commentator was in central London at the time and believed Clifford had planned to kill him too. "Police officers of 30 years' experience had their breath taken away by how brave she was, how she was able to think so clearly in that moment, to know what she needed to do," Mr Hunt said. "I said it in court, and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life,' he added. John and Amy said that the family struggled to warm to Clifford completely. They considered him to be immature and inconsiderate. However, he said that nothing had pointed to Clifford being capable of murder. "But did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and Hannah? Absolutely not,' Amy added. Prosecutors said at the time Clifford became 'enraged' when Louise ended their 18-month relationship, leading him to 'carefully' plan the murders. Police launched a manhunt for the killer and eventually found him injured in Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, north London, after he shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. He was left paralysed from the chest down.
