A former soldier who slaughtered the wife and two daughters of BBC star John Hunt after raiding their home today dramatically admitted the murders but denied raping his ex-girlfriend before she died.
Kyle Clifford killed his former partner Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah, 28, with a crossbow before stabbing the racing commentator's wife, Carol, 61, to death at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July.
Clifford, 26, was arrested after a manhunt but could not be interviewed as he was treated in hospital for an injury.
Today the ex-guard appeared at Cambridge Crown Court where he changed his plea and admitted murdering the three women. He denies one charge of rape and will stand trial on those charges later this year.
Brave Hannah called 999 and told police she feared she was going to die after her sister and mother were attacked.
When officers arrived at the family home they found her still alive in the doorway, but despite desperate efforts they were unable to save her.
Louise was found with her arms and ankles tied up, while mother Carol suffered stab wounds from a 10-inch butcher's knife.
Clifford, who served in the army for around three years from 2019, became the subject of a manhunt before he was found injured at Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield, north London, after shooting himself in the chest with the crossbow.
A photo released by Hertfordshire Police of Kyle Clifford, who was charged with the murders
John Hunt is pictured with his wife Carol, who was murdered along with two of their two daughters
Hannah Hunt was killed along with her mother and sister in the Bushey crossbow attack
Louise Hunt (pictured), sister of Hannah Hunt and daughter of Carol and John Hunt, was killed
Clifford appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court this morning and pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one of false imprisonment against Louise Hunt, and two counts of possession of offensive weapons – the crossbow and the knife.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of raping Louise. Clifford, from Enfield, north London, will stand trial at the same court on March 3 on rape charges.
Seven years after his brother was given a life sentence with a minimum of 23 years for murder, Clifford now faces the prospect of going behind bars after admitting the murders of Carol, Hannah and Louise in their own home.
Harrowing details of the attack, which took place at around 6.30pm on July 9 last year, began to unravel in the following days.
Neighbors of the £800,000 house in a quiet cul-de-sac recalled hearing disturbing screams – so piercing they were initially mistaken for those of a child.
It later emerged that the desperate cries for help came from inside the house where the three defenseless women were ambushed in their own home by the crossbow-wielding killer.
After brutally attacking his victims and leaving them to die, the former soldier went on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt to track him down.
Shortly after leaving the property, leaving behind a mother and her two daughters, Clifford was captured on doorbell footage calmly striding away with what looked like a crossbow under his arm hidden under a white sheet.
Hertfordshire Police took the unusual step of naming and imaging Clifford as they desperately tried to track him down.
The vicious killer was arrested after he was found at Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield with self-inflicted wounds.
After the attack, a photo emerged of Clifford in army fatigues, with a gun in his hand and his face covered in camouflage paint
A sketch by Kyle Clifford, a court artist, appearing via videolink at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 17
Racing commentator Mr Hunt, who has another daughter, Amy, bravely returned to work 60 days after the tragic incident.
At the time of the fatal attack, he said in a joint statement with Amy: “The devastation we are experiencing is beyond words.”
In a further statement read by his colleague Matt Chapman on Sky Sports Racing, Mr Hunt said: 'Despite the terrible evil that has swept through our lives, causing devastation on an unimaginable scale, the opposite of that has been the breathtaking expressions of support, some of which still to be read.'
He added: 'Amy, my eldest daughter, has been hugely inspiring with her control and support for me, which I try so hard to replicate.
'Every message felt so important, like a comforting hug.
'We know people are worried about us. We will get through this.'
Friends leave flowers on Ashlyn Close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, after the attack on July 11
Mourners attend a service at St James's Church in Bushey on July 11 after the incident
A view of the scene on July 11 on Ashlyn Close in Bushey, where the Hunt family lived
After the attacks, the Home Office said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was urgently considering whether stricter crossbow laws were needed.
In the King's speech, which took place just days after the murders, no proposal was made to take action against crossbows.
It is believed that the review is still ongoing and no decisions have been made yet.
The previous government considered introducing rules on firearms licensing after an attempt to kill the late queen with a crossbow.
There is currently no registration system for owning a crossbow, no license is required and they appear to be easy to purchase online.
But it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to buy or own one, and anyone who carries a crossbow in public without a reasonable excuse could face up to four years behind bars.
Mr Hunt and his third daughter Amy previously released a statement following the incident, saying: 'The devastation we are experiencing cannot be put into words.'
