The violent misogyny promoted by means of the likes of Andrew Tate fuelled a former soldier’s rape of his ex-girlfriend and the homicide of her in conjunction with her mom and sister, the prosecution argued in courtroom.
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Kyle Clifford, 26, have been looking out YouTube for the 38-year-old arguable influencer’s podcast the day ahead of he performed the four-hour assault, it used to be mentioned in felony argument forward of his trial.
It could possibly simplest now be reported as a result of Pass judgement on Mr Justice Bennathan excluded the proof from the trial, announcing that it used to be of “restricted relevance” and too prejudicial.
However he added that any one who takes a detailed hobby in Tate, a “poster boy for misogynists”, is also noticed as a misogynist.
Clifford tricked his approach within the circle of relatives house in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July remaining yr at the pretext of returning a bag of 25-year-old Louise Hunt’s garments 13 days after she dumped him.
He made positive her father, the BBC and Sky Sports activities racing commentator John Hunt, wasn’t house ahead of stabbing her mom Carol Hunt, 61, to demise with a 10-inch butchering knife.
Clifford laid in stay up for greater than an hour till Louise returned from paintings on the canine grooming industry she ran from a pod within the lawn, tied her fingers and ankles with duct tape, gagged her and raped her.
Symbol: Carol Hunt and her daughters Hannah and Louise. Pic: Fb
He held her captive for hours ahead of taking pictures her during the chest with a crossbow, the usage of the similar weapon to kill her sister Hannah Hunt, a 28-year-old attractiveness therapist, when she returned house mins later.
Clifford pleaded in charge to 3 counts of homicide, false imprisonment, and two counts of ownership of offensive guns however denied raping Louise – claiming the DNA discovered on her frame used to be from 16 days previous.
He has now been discovered in charge of the fee by means of a jury at Cambridge Crown Courtroom.
Passion in Andrew Tate
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1:33 CCTV displays Clifford’s actions
Clifford have been looking out YouTube for Tate’s podcast the day ahead of the murders and is thought to have watched as much as 10 of the influencer’s movies.
Considered one of Louise Hunt’s buddies had prior to now requested why he used to be gazing considered one of Tate’s movies involving drugged animals and he mentioned: “As a result of it is humorous,” it used to be mentioned right through felony argument ahead of the trial.
Prosecutors argued the “violent misogyny promoted by means of Tate” used to be the similar sort that “fuelled each the murders” and the rape” dedicated by means of Clifford.
Alison Morgan KC mentioned his hobby within the “well known misogynist” helped to provide an explanation for why he changed into so “incandescent with rage” after she ended the connection.
Symbol: Andrew Tate. Record pic: AP
In throwing out the proof, the pass judgement on mentioned that there used to be more likely to be ongoing reporting about Tate after he and his brother Tristan, 36, flew to the United States from Romania on Thursday after trip restrictions imposed at the pair had been lifted.
A legal investigation has since been introduced into the British-American pair – who’re already matter to an ongoing probe into alleged folks trafficking in Romania – in Florida.
They’re additionally because of be extradited to the United Kingdom after that case to stand separate accusations of rape and trafficking courting again to between 2012 and 2015.
The brothers deny any wrongdoing.
‘Misogynistic and sexualised’ feedback
Clifford had not too long ago been sacked from his activity at a catering provide company in Waltham Pass.
It additionally emerged in felony argument that he used to be mentioned to have made “misogynistic and sexualised feedback” about feminine colleagues within the office.
He concealed two relationships with ladies he knew thru paintings from Louise right through their 18-month dating, which began when they met on a courting web page.
It could possibly now be reported Clifford went on courting apps Hinge and Tinder moments after Louise ended their 18-month dating in a message on 26 June remaining yr.
Clifford deliberate assault over 13 days
- 26 June 2024: Louise Hunt ends 18-month dating.
- 28 June: Kyle Clifford buys a 30cm duration of rope from Toolstation in Enfield.
- 30 June: He searches for crossbows and pornography on-line.
- 3 July: Clifford buys a crossbow, six bolts and a cocking tool on-line for £357 for supply to his house. He additionally buys a Glock air pistol, which used to be no longer delivered ahead of the murders.
- 4 July: Clifford buys two petrol cans from Halfords in Enfield, which can be later discovered by means of police within the boot of his automobile, and two rolls of duct tape from a department of B&Q.
- 5 July: He visits the fitness center and is going for an evening out in central London, staying in a single day in a resort.
- 7 July: A ten-inch metal butchering knife he purchased thru Amazon for £89 is brought to his house.
- 8 July: He searches YouTube for Andrew Tate’s podcast
Clifford then began making plans his assault, purchasing a duration of rope simply two days later, and on 30 June he researched crossbows ahead of looking for a pornographic video of a Wandsworth jail officer having intercourse with an inmate.
Brother serving lifestyles sentence for homicide
He additionally mentioned crossbows together with his brother Bradley Clifford, who he would discuss with in jail each and every different week, the place he’s serving a lifestyles sentence for murdering an adolescent in 2017.
Bradley Clifford drunkenly mowed down 19-year-old Jahshua Francis, who used to be driving a moped, and his pillion passenger Sobhan Khan, 18, after his “prized” crimson Mustang used to be broken.
Symbol: Bradley Clifford. Pic: Met Police
Police mentioned Kyle Clifford had a number of alternatives to again out of the 9 July assault however used to be “completely cold-blooded and calculated in his movements”.
In felony argument no longer ahead of the jury, Ms Morgan mentioned “extremely sexualised violence performed a component in what came about” and that Clifford used to be looking to “misogynistically regulate Louise Hunt for yet another time”.
‘Sense of entitlement’
She described him as a person whose identification used to be in keeping with “whether or not he has the precise selection of ladies and the admiration of ladies” and “does not like to be informed, ‘No,’ by means of ladies”.
Ms Morgan mentioned his “sense of entitlement” and the “spite and the sleight” of being dumped fuelled the sexualised violence.
The day of the murders – 9 July 2024
- 9.54am: Clifford is going to a lawn centre together with his mom, father and niece.
- 1.07pm: He leaves his house in Enfield to power to Bushey, parking close to the Hunt circle of relatives house half-hour later.
- 1.39pm: Police imagine he will get out of his automobile to test which vehicles are parked out of doors the home – there have been 3 circle of relatives automobiles parked that day.
- 1.48pm: Clifford has returned to his automobile and searches on his telephone for “horse racing as of late” to test if John Hunt used to be at house.
- 2.30pm: Having parked his automobile nearer, he is taking a rucksack from the boot, believed to include the knife, and carries a white plastic bag containing Louise’s garments.
- 2.32pm: He knocks on the door, showing calm when Carol Hunt solutions.
- 2.39pm: Clifford enters the house at the pretext of handing again Louise’s assets and leaving a “thanks” card for her folks, attacking Carol with the knife lower than a minute later.
- 3.07pm: He is going again to his automobile to get the crossbow, which is hidden below a blanket ahead of returning to the home.
- 4.12pm: Louise, who has been running in her canine grooming industry in a pod within the lawn, enters her house the place Clifford is ready. She is restrained with duct tape, gagged, and raped.
- 5.52pm: He makes use of Louise’s telephone to ship a textual content message to her father asking what time he’ll be house and he replies to mention overdue.
- 5.57pm: Her telephone is used to go looking whether or not unplugging a smoke detector stops it from sounding an alarm and if alcohol is flammable.
- 6.50pm: Clifford kills Louise with the crossbow moments ahead of her sister Hannah Hunt returns house.
- 6.54pm: Hannah is shot by means of Clifford with the crossbow ahead of he leaves. 4 mins later, whilst injured, she calls 999.
- 7.10pm: Emergency products and services arrive however Hannah dies quickly after.
After the murders, CCTV pictures displays Clifford flippantly leaving the Hunt circle of relatives house within the quiet cul-de-sac of Ashlyn Shut wearing a backpack and conserving the crossbow hidden below a blanket.
He drove to a cemetery close to his house in Enfield, north London, the place he shot himself within the chest with the weapon as armed police descended the following day following a manhunt.
A makeshift noose used to be present in a close-by tree, however police and prosecutors do not imagine he made a real try to finish his lifestyles, even though he used to be left paralysed from the chest down.
The trial used to be held in Cambridge to house him as a wheelchair consumer, however he refused to wait.
Symbol: Kyle Clifford in 2023
‘Underwhelming person’
His sufferers’ family and friends, together with John Hunt – who has one surviving daughter Amy – sat within the public gallery to listen to the harrowing main points of the case.
Detective Leader Inspector Nick Gardner described Clifford, who served within the military from 2019 for round 3 years, as an “solely underwhelming person” with a failed army profession who could not cling down a role.
He labored as a non-public safety guard for a couple of months in 2023, then used to be sacked from his activity at Reynolds in a while ahead of the murders.
Louise had advised a chum Clifford had a “nasty mood”, whilst buddies and members of the family described him as “strange” or “disrespectful, impolite and conceited”.
Clifford got here to the eye of police in London when it comes to alleged offences of ownership of hashish, attack with out damage and robbery when he used to be a juvenile between 2012 and 2013, however they did not lead to fees or convictions.
Police say there have been no evident crimson flags that he would cross directly to dedicate one of these crime.
