Kyle Clifford arrested on suspicion of murdering John Hunt’s wife and daughters in Bushey crossbow attack

Police had been hunting for a former soldier Kyle Clifford after three members of the Hunt family were killed on Tuesday

Amy-Clare Martin
Crime Correspondent
Friday 12 July 2024 12:18 BST
(Supplied)

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A 26 year old man has been arrested on suspicion of the triple murder of a BBC commentator’s wife and two daughters following a crossbow attack in their family home.

Kyle Clifford, a former soldier, was tracked to a cemetery by armed police in a major manhunt after three members of John Hunt’s family were killed.

The 26-year-old was taken to hospital after he was seen being stretchered from the Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield by paramedics on Wednesday afternoon.

Hertfordshire Police said he was found with injuries and that no shots were fired by officers in the search for Clifford, who was feared to have been armed with a crossbow.

Police announced on Friday that a 26 year old man from Enfield had been arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder. He remains in a serious condition in hospital.

Police were searching for Kyle Clifford in connection with the deaths (Hertfordshire Police/PA)
Police were searching for Kyle Clifford in connection with the deaths (Hertfordshire Police/PA) (PA Wire)

Tributes have flooded in for three members of the “most gentle, beautiful family” who were killed in their four-bedroom detached home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday night.

The victims were named as BBC racing commentator John Hunt’s wife Carol, 61, beautician Hannah, 28, and dog groomer Louise, 25.

Police have confirmed he was known to the victims. 

Officers were called to the home in Ashlyn Close just before 7pm on Tuesday. Inside, they found three seriously injured women. Despite the efforts of paramedics, all three family members were pronounced dead at the scene.

A view of the scene in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire, where the wife and two daughters of a BBC sports commentator have been killed in a crossbow attack at their home
A view of the scene in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, Hertfordshire, where the wife and two daughters of a BBC sports commentator have been killed in a crossbow attack at their home (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

Shocked residents left flowers at the scene as they spoke of their horror, paying tribute to “lovely” family, who are understood to have a third daughter.

One tribute read: “Hannah, Louise and Carol, I wish none of this was real. I wish I could hug you all, and tell you how much you meant to me. I wish you could hug each other. Love you forever.”

Another read: “Words cannot express how devastated I am that you’re gone. The most gentle beautiful family. Forever loved.”

A neighbour said “absolute chaos” broke out as armed police put the road into lockdown following the incident at the detached four-bedroom family home at around 6.30pm Tuesday night.

“We had armed police running down, screaming ‘stay in your house’ ... they shut us off and basically put us into lockdown,” she said.

A forensic tent outside the Hunt’s family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire
A forensic tent outside the Hunt’s family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire (PA)

Another neighbour Glyn Nicholas, 77, said the “close-knit” family had lived on the road for almost 20 years, with Louise later setting up her dog-grooming business in an outbuilding in their garden.

He told The Telegraph: “She’s a lovely, caring girl. She runs a dog grooming business in Bushey.

“Her sister Hannah and mother Carol are lovely as well. It’s all so sad. Louise was a sweet, lovely girl. They all were. This is so sad for everyone.”

More follows on this breaking news story...

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