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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
How my murdered daughter saved my life: Emotional BBC star John Hunt breaks down as he relives day of crossbow horror at his home
A tearful John Hunt has described his 'pride' at the love his daughter Louise had shown Kyle Clifford before he murdered her, her mother Carol and sister Hannah - and how his own life was saved that fateful day. The BBC horse racing commentator has given his first interview since their deaths alongside his surviving daughter Amy, describing the legacy of love the three women he adored had left behind. Mr Hunt lives still in the family home where they died in Hertfordshire and told Victoria Derbyshire he speaks to them throughout the day - from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. '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 said. The broadcaster also told how Hannah had saved his life by sending a text to her boyfriend as she died, which alerted the police. John believes Clifford intended to murder him too when he returned from London. 'I get to live. Hannah gave me that, and I've got to treat it as a gift from her', he said. '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,' her father said. Asked if Hannah's actions saved his life, John adds: 'That's what I believe. I have said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis.' Amy and John said there was no sign that Clifford was abusive to Louise before he committed three murders with a knife and a crossbow. '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,' Amy said. She added: 'I know it sounds crass, but we often say we wish we'd had some hint that he was capable of this.' Clifford refused to attend his sentencing, where he was given three whole life orders. The court also heard devastating victim impact statements written by John and Amy. 'It's consistently a system that prioritises the perpetrator,' Amy said. Her father then broke down as he said that Louise had dealt with the break-up with Clifford 'perfectly' - and read out the transcript of a TikTok video she had shared at the time called: 'Don't you feel embarrassed for sticking around that long?' Pausing in places with tears in his eyes he went on: 'Embarrassed? My heart is the best part about me. And who I am as a person. I will never be embarrassed for loving someone with everything in me because that is how I would want someone to love me. Yes it didn't work out but I don't regret loving him and how hard I loved. An emotional Mr Hunt said his daughter Hannah had saved his life with a final text that would alert police to the murders and who was responsible. John believes Clifford would have killed him too 'I'm proud of myself for realising that love is always worth giving when when it may not be received. I truly think they needed that love a lot more than I did at that time and maybe this will be he reason they never treat a person like that. 'So no I don't feel embarrassed about loving someone deeply and wholeheartedly'. Speaking from the heart, Mr Hunt choked up again and said: 'And as you can tell from my reaction now. They weren't Louise's words but they could well have been. And I'm so proud of her for living like that and loving like that'. 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'. 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.' John said that he had never heard Clifford raise his voice to his daughter and that they were a normal couple, spending lots of time in the family home. It was only after the murders there were signs of 'gentle manipulation' by Clifford in texts to Louise, who was belittled at times. But there was no sign of what was to come. Mr Hunt returned to work with the BBC as a racing commentator - a job he was encouraged to pursue by his wife when he was a police officer. John says that Carol, Louise and Hannah are still a constant presence in his and Amy's lives. He chats to them every day. 'From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them. As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They're very close to me all the time', he said. John and Amy recalled one Friday night last May, two months before the murders, when the three sisters had gone out for sushi together. '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,' Amy said. John said Hannah came home from the dinner and she was 'typically effusive'. 'She came barnstorming through the door, and Carol said something like, 'you had a lovely time?' And she said, 'do you know what, mum? We talked about how lucky we have been. We have been so lucky. We've not had a minute of concern or worry through the lives you've given us',' he said. 'It's a beautiful thing to recall. It was a beautiful thing to hear at the same time.' Amy said that when Clifford killed her family and went on the run: 'My mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford'. She added: 'I want to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people'. But above all, every day he remembers Hannah's final act, and how it saved his life. 'I get to live,' he says. 'Hannah gave me that, and I've got to treat it as a gift from her.' 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'. At Clifford's sentencing, many cried as Mr Hunt paid tribute to each member of his slaughtered family in an emotional victim impact statement. The racing commentator told how he could hear the 'screams of hell' waiting for Clifford after losing his wife and two of three daughters to the killer in July. People sobbed as he described how 'proud' he was of 'all my girls' in the wake of their brutal murders - while Clifford refused to leave his cell. Amy and John revealed how they heard details about the case in court and in newspapers that they had not been told. There were also problems with logistics, including going to hearings and Clifford being absent due to a lack of transport to take him from jail. The Crown Prosecution Service has said it has apologised to John and Amy and has 'the utmost admiration for the Hunt family, who had the strength and courage to attend court every day and hear first-hand the devastating truth of what happened to Carol, Louise and Hannah. 'At the request of the judge during the first hearing of Kyle Clifford, we provided initial details of the prosecution's case. We apologised to the Hunt family for the level of detail outlined at that stage and continued to meet with them throughout the criminal justice process'. In January MailOnline revealed how he had returned to work just 60 days after the deaths of Carol, 61, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, as a way for him to try to deal with the unimaginable grief of losing them so suddenly and painfully, a friend said. The BBC horse racing commentator initially moved away from the family home where Kyle Clifford stabbed Mr Hunt's wife and fatally shot two of his three daughters with a crossbow. His third child Amy was not caught up in the attack. Clifford, who had been dumped by Louise Hunt, will never be released from prison having wreaked 'devastation on an unimaginable scale' for Mr Hunt and his surviving child Amy in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9 last year. Just 60 days later John had bravely returned to work at the Brighton races 'on a quiet day' in September. A colleague told MailOnline: 'Perhaps returning to work so soon was his way of dealing with the trauma. 'All of us in racing were heartbroken. He is a fine broadcaster but the thing that struck us was how devoted he was as a family man. He talked of them all a great deal'. Another friend said that John has clearly found some comfort in working again - but once a fixture in the press room and keen to chat about his family and beloved West Ham, he now keeps himself more to himself. 'I saw him walking across the course alone recently. I fully understand why', a colleague said. Louise (left), Hannah (centre) and Carol (right) were murdered in their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July Mr Hunt shared a birthday message for his surviving daughter in January. He praised Amy's beauty and strength after a harrowing year where their family was taken from them. 'It's what a proud father would say. And that's John', the friend said. 'John is the very best of men. The esteem in which he is held by his colleagues could not be higher', he went on. 'John is the bravest man I know. And an incredible talent, with no ego. When I saw him he would always ask about my children and my family', the friend said. 'And it was the same with his girls - they were everything to him. He always talked about them. 'He has huge compassion. And always lived for his family. He was so proud. 'They were a family surrounded by good people - but it shows how one bad seed can get in and ruin everything'. Since the murders race courses and officials all over the country have provided a crutch for him and tried to make him comfortable in any way they can. Colleagues described hearing the news that his wife and children had died last summer. 'There was a minute's silence for his family at Newmarket and it was the most sombre and grave atmosphere because of the love for him. The jockeys were also bereft. They all knew him and trusted him', one said. 'He returned on one quiet day in September at Brighton and he chose that he because he knew he had to get back to work and stay at home with his thoughts. He came in into a quiet meeting and did his work. 'John has no ego. When you are listening to John call a race it feels like a friend is talking to you. 'He creates drama and makes it easy to understand. He's the master of his craft. 'He's a massive West Ham fan and loves talking football but he's got a job to do and wants to call a race with clarity. That is his focus'. After the brutal killings the grieving widower urged people to 'make the most of every day' as his friend and fellow commentator Mark Chapman opened up about Mr Hunt having the 'family unit he absolutely adored' ripped apart. Through the searing emotional pain, the loving father's thoughts turned to Amy and his 'biggest desire' to make her life 'a little less stressful'.
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.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Misogyny is an epidemic fuelled by social media, Amy Hunt tells BBC in first interview
Amy Hunt, whose mother and two sisters were murdered in their own home last year, has told the BBC there is an "epidemic" of misogyny in society that has "the most horrific, devastating consequences".In her first interview since the murders of her mum, Carol, and sisters, Hannah and Louise, Amy say the UK "should be very concerned" about sexist, hateful content on social media - calling on media platforms, people in power, schools and "every single one of us" to do something about tells the BBC people are "slowly waking up" to the links between hate posted on social media and violence against women by men in real man who killed her loved ones was Kyle Clifford, her youngest sister's ex-boyfriend. The attacks came two weeks after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. Amy describes Clifford as a man filled with hatred, self-loathing, and a deep insecurity. "It's very clear he hates women," she says. "But what I often say is, he doesn't hate women as much as he hates himself."She says there is "a serious obligation as a society to change men's behaviour, because this is a man's issue - it is not a woman's issue".Amy has been speaking to the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire alongside her father, racing commentator John John and Amy Hunt's interview with BBC's Victoria DerbyshireThe pair describe the legacy of love Carol, Hannah and Louise have left. John says it is this that has helped sustain them through their trauma and grief. The three women remain a constant presence in their lives, he adds that her mother and sisters were "the best of us" and says "the world is a much emptier place without them".Clifford fatally stabbed 61-year-old Carol in July last year after he followed her into her home, in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on the pretext of bringing over some of his former partner Louise's then lay in wait for Louise, 25, before raping her, and using a crossbow to shoot both her and her sister Hannah, can watch the full interview, Standing Strong: The John and Amy Hunt interview, with Victoria Derbyshire at 21:00 BST on BBC1 and on iPlayer In March this year, he was sentenced to three whole-life orders, meaning he will never be released from and Amy strongly reject reports in some media that there were clear signs of abuse by Clifford during his relationship with in the case did, however, say Clifford's actions had been fuelled by the "violent misogyny" promoted by controversial social media personality Andrew Tate, whose videos he had watched in the days before the had searched for Tate's podcast the day before carrying out the court was told it was no coincidence that he had turned to such content before carrying out the violence. Amy says she believes there was an "undeniable link".But she also says any suggestion that Clifford was not dangerous, or that he only became capable of murder after watching misogynistic content, is "ridiculous". She says, however, we live in a society that "emboldens misogyny" and "allows misogyny to fester"."It's not just Andrew Tate, there are many subsets of Andrew Tate on social media who are spouting the same misogynistic hate - that is an undeniable fact and we should be very concerned about it." She feels misogyny is "the acceptable form of extremism" on social media platforms."We've got a serious issue on our hands, and we don't give it the attention it deserves until it forces its way into your life, like it has ours," she says the minute Clifford left their home on the day of the incident, "my mum, Hannah and Louise became a statistic. They became victims of Kyle Clifford." She wants "to breathe life back into my mum, Hannah and Louise as fully-rounded people".When sentencing Clifford in March, the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, described him as a "jealous man soaked in self-pity, who holds women in utter contempt". The attacks, the judge added, were "brutal and cowardly".Reflecting on these words, John says: "I know it's difficult to hear, but it's worth remembering that he killed Carol in the most brutal way, and [he] still had choices after that. "He didn't choose to say, 'oh my God, what have I done? I've got to get out of here'. His choice then was to say, 'I've killed Carol, and now I'm going to sit and wait for an hour and a half. I'm going to kill Louise as well, and whatever time Hannah turns up, [do the] same'."The amount of time that day, on 9 July, he would have just been sitting there making a conscious decision to do the next step. It's impossible for us to comprehend, isn't it?"He says schools should teach boys to respect women and girls much earlier than they currently do. Once boys start viewing dangerous, misogynistic content online, he adds, "they're already on the path to doom".Amy says she believes misogynist influencers "don't care" about the men and boys who watch their content."Who are the people that do care about the men in our society? It's the people who love them, the people who know them," she says. "It's a question of what sort of world are we comfortable living in."If you've been affected by some of the issues raised in this story details of support are available at BBC Action Line.
