Jealous Army dropout kills BBC star’s family: Kyle Clifford murdered his girlfriend, her mother, and sister after his brother was jailed for murder, fueled by envy and anger.

Kyle Clifford confessed today to being responsible for the tragic deaths of BBC personality John Hunt’s spouse and two daughters in a brutal assault involving a crossbow and knife, causing shock across the country.

At 26 years old, Clifford, who had a brief stint in the British Army but left due to underwhelming performance, has accepted his guilt in the killings of Mrs. Hunt, Carol (61), beautician Hannah (28), and dog groomer Louise (25). 

He denies raping Louise, his former partner, before the triple murder and will go on trial for this charge later this year. 

Reports from MailOnline have uncovered that Clifford harbored feelings of intense jealousy, exerting control over every aspect of Louise’s life, from prohibiting her use of cosmetics to restricting her friendships with males, before ultimately brutally taking the lives of her, her mother, and her sibling. 

In fact, the army dropout was so ridden with jealousy that he also demanded that Louise could not stay out late unless she was with him, a close friend said today.

Clifford stabbed Carol to death with a 10-inch butcher’s knife and killed her daughters by firing crossbow bolts at them after he turned up to their home in a quiet suburban close in Bushey, Hertfordshire, to collect his belongings following a split with Louise. 

Fearing she was about to die, Hannah made a harrowing 999 call to police before she was killed alongside her sister and mother on July 9 last year, a court heard.

A family friend told MailOnline how Clifford tried to appear loving but in reality ‘imposed himself’ on Louise often mocking her throughout their turbulent six-month relationship.

They said that Louise had grown tired of his controlling behaviour as their relationship had become strained. Clifford had become increasingly fearful that Louise was going to end their relationship.

Born in Enfield in 1998, Clifford, grew up in nondescript end of terrace home in Enfield, north east London, with his parents and three siblings.

He was described by those who grew up with him as ‘pretty normal’ and not someone who seemed ‘odd or aggressive’.

The man who would go on to commit a heinous triple murder joined the Army in 2019, but is believed to have left after a short period of service in 2022. 

It’s understood Clifford served as a trooper, the equivalent to a private, in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards. 

After the attack, a picture also emerged showing him in army gear, holding a gun with his face covered in camouflage paint.

An army source told The Sun: ‘Clifford joined the Army in 2019 and I was with him in Basic Training. When he joined the Army he was immature for his age and had a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

‘He struggled to grasp basic military concepts but managed to reach the standard to pass out from training.’

But after leaving the Army, Clifford started working as a private security guard. A firm called Amthal, based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, confirmed that he was employed from February 22 2023 to July 20 2023 before he left.

The friend of Louise said that Clifford was at a low ebb at the time of her murder after suddenly leaving his job at a local food supplier.

The source, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Kyle was controlling and used to ridicule Louise. In public he made himself out to be a nice guy, but in private he was anything but.

‘There hadn’t been any previous incidents of violence towards Louise – nothing that we knew about anyway – but he imposed himself on her.

‘It was certain things, like Louise used to like wearing make-up but then she stopped wearing make-up – and that was down to Kyle.

‘Louise had become tired of the relationship and being controlled all the time and being told what to do. 

The friend said that Louise invited Clifford to a family party last April.

‘She had introduced him to her parents, they are lovely, lovely people and they would have wanted to take him into their family.

‘But there were red flags. And when Louise split with Kyle I think they were very relieved.

‘What happened is incomprehensible, it’s awful. They were such an incredibly lovely, friendly family. It’s completely devastated the community.’

Abdul Morsli, 28, who was best friend with Hannah Hunt, believed Louise started seeing Clifford around Christmas 2023 and said: ‘She was in love with him. They’d been together for just under a year, I think.

‘Hannah was convinced that they’d get married one day…but there were issues with his controlling behaviour.

‘I think Louise tried to keep it under wraps but I know he didn’t like her staying out too late – even though they didn’t live together – and he really didn’t like her having male friends.’

Fighting back tears, he told how Carol and John took him in five-years ago when he needed somewhere to stay.

He said: ‘I lived with them for about three or four months when I was going through a few things and needed help.

‘They invited me into their home without hesitation.

‘Carol treated me like her own son, she used to make me a meal every night and John invited me to Royal Ascot two years ago.

‘I’ve known Hannah since I was 13 and we were at school together. She was so lovely, genuinely an amazing person.

‘She was from a beautiful family. They were so generous and welcoming. I can’t describe how wonderful they are.’

The triple murder sparked a nationwide hunt for Clifford, who was caught by police the following day with ‘self-inflicted injuries’ in a cemetery near his home in Enfield.

After changing his plea today, Clifford now faces a life sentence – something his brother is already serving for mowing down and murdering a teenage moped rider in anger after his ‘prized’ Ford Mustang was damaged.

Appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court today, Clifford 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 a charge of raping Louise.

This is not the first time the Clifford family have faced a murder trial.

Kyle’s brother, Bradley Clifford, 30, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years in 2018 after murdering 18-year-old Sobhan Khan.

Bradley, seeking revenge after a bottle was smashed on his ‘prized’ red Mustang in 2017, ploughed into Jahshua Francis, 19, who was riding a moped and his pillion passenger Mr Khan.

He drunkenly chased down their scooter through Enfield at nearly double the speed limit on the wrong side of the road.

The two teenagers were sent flying into the air when Bradley struck them. And while Mr Francis miraculously escaped without serious injuries, Mr Khan was badly wounded.

The trial at the Old Bailey heard how Bradley, in an ‘intense range’, proceeded to attack Mr Khan as he lay helplessly on the street, punching him ferociously nine times.

Before the attack, Bradley told his girlfriend over WhatsApp that he would put a knife down the throats and ‘rain hell’ on anyone who interfered with his Ford Mustang – something the judge said he regarded as a ‘status symbol which he took pride in’.

Bradley was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 23 years for murdering Mr Khan. He was also sentenced to seven years for the attack on Mr Francis, to run concurrently.

Kyle now also faces a life sentence after admitting to the murder of Carol, Hannah and Louise inside their own house.

At around 6.30pm on July 9 2024, neighbours of the £800,000 suburban home in a quiet cul-de-sac heard piercing screams which were initially mistaken for that of a distressed child. 

It later emerged that the desperate cries for help were coming from the home where Carol, Hannah and Louise were ambushed by the crossbow-wielding killer.

After slaying his victims, Clifford went on the run, sparking a nationwide manhunt to track him down.

Clad in black, he was captured on doorbell footage calmly striding away with what appeared to be a crossbow tucked under his arm hidden beneath a white sheet. 

Clifford was arrested after being found in the Lavender Hill Cemetery, in Enfield, with self-inflicted injuries.

At the time, neighbours revealed how Clifford had been in a relationship with the Hunts’ youngest daughter, Louise, but she split up with him a week ago.

Neighbour Glyn Nicholas, 77, said: ‘Louise was a very nice girl. She ran a dog grooming business from the house. I heard that she split from a boyfriend last week and was very upset about it.

‘A friend of Louise’s told me that her car door had caved in because of the crash.’

It comes despite those who grew up with Clifford suggesting the attack was out of character.

A woman who knew him from Enfield told Sky News that he ‘always seemed pretty normal’ and a ‘nice guy’.

They added: ‘We would always be at the same parties together and hanging around in Enfield. He never seemed odd or aggressive.’

Tragically, his aggression was laid bare for all to see when he launched a sickening attack on three defenceless women. 

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 that we are experiencing cannot be put into words.’

In a further statement read by his colleague Matt Chapman on Sky Sports Racing, Mr Hunt said: ‘Notwithstanding the horrid evil that’s swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale, the counter to that has been the breathtaking messages of support, some of which are still to be read.’

He added: ‘Amy, my eldest daughter, has been magnificently inspirational with her control and support for me, which I am trying, trying so hard, to replicate.

‘Every message has felt so important, the same as a reassuring hug.

‘We know people are worried about us. We will get through this.’