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Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
What prison will look like for crossbow killer Kyle Clifford
When the whole-life sentence was handed down yesterday, Kyle Clifford was not there to hear it. Clifford, who brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, her mother Carol, 61, and her sister Hannah, 28, with a crossbow last year, refused to attend court for his trial or sentencing. Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, Mr Justice Bennathan was emphatic: for such horrendous crimes, Clifford would be handed the harshest punishment available under British criminal law. 'For each of these three murders, the sentence will be one of life imprisonment with a whole-life order,' he said. 'That means a sentence from which you will never be released.' So, what will life in prison be like for Clifford, with no hope of parole? He will be joining Britain's most notorious criminals in serving a whole-life order. There have only been 100 issued since the system was introduced in 1983, although their usage has increased in recent years. The penalty is reserved for the most serious of crimes – while prisoners sentenced to life serve an average of 16.5 years in prison, a whole-life order means Clifford will never be considered for release. Roughly 70 individuals are currently serving whole-life orders in English or Welsh prisons. They include Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered Conservative MP David Amess in 2021; Jordan McSweeney, who killed law graduate Zara Aleena in 2022; Wayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who kidnapped, raped and killed Sarah Everard in 2021; the serial killer Rosemary West, and, more recently, Lucy Letby, who murdered seven babies at the Countess of Chester hospital and attempted to kill seven more. In accordance with the severity of his crimes, Clifford will be held in one of the maximum-security Category A prisons designed for the most dangerous offenders, at least initially. 'There are only a limited number of prisons that can house those who have committed crimes of such gravity it must be impossible for them to escape,' says Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project. These Category A men's prisons include HMP Belmarsh, in London, where Clifford was held before his trial, and HMP Frankland, in County Durham. 'He has committed a crime so outrageous that escape must be made impossible,' Acheson adds. A prison worker and criminologist, who prefers to remain anonymous, explains that 'the immediate concerns will be for Clifford's safety – he'll be vulnerable to assault and attack, he might have a price on his head.' His medical condition – after shooting himself with the crossbow he used to attack Louise Hunt, her sister and mother, he is paralysed from the chest down – makes him especially vulnerable. 'Prison officers are going to have their own feelings about him,' she explains, as he is 'very high-profile, particularly newsworthy… [it is] a watershed case.' Usually, she says, 'I would be arguing against over-sentencing. But for Clifford, there is no getting away from the fact that he deserves the sentence he got. Prison officers will be thinking that, too.' Clifford is a former soldier, although Cambridge Crown Court heard that he spent a third of his three-year military career 'at home claiming to be ill'. This is unlikely to have an impact on his level of risk; according to Ministry of Justice figures from last year, approximately 3.6 per cent of the total prison population are ex-servicemen. After a period of assessment and observation, Clifford, 26, will be staring down the barrel of a potential 50-plus years – the rest of his life – behind bars. While the serious, sexual and high-profile nature of Clifford's offences means he could be considered at risk from other prisoners, Acheson suggests he is likely to pose a more significant risk to himself. 'He is notorious, and has committed crimes that are absolutely outrageous,' says Acheson. However, compared to the recent high-profile case of Axel Rudakubana, the teenager who murdered three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year, Clifford's victims were known to him. According to the unspoken prison code, this puts him a rung above those who killed indiscriminately or who harmed children. And, in the view of some prisoners, his notoriety could actually be an asset. 'He's going to be an immensely challenging security problem – because of his iconic status,' says Acheson. 'In prison, there will be warped people who will be attracted to that status.' Less than 24 hours before the triple murder, Clifford searched online for podcasts posted by the influencer Andrew Tate, described by the prosecution in court as the 'poster boy' for misogynists. Given Clifford is likely to spend a significant period of time in a high-security setting, or even in solitary confinement, he will not be able to access Tate's content, nor will he be able to socialise with prisoners who may share Tate's views. Given the hopelessness of his sentence, officers will be monitoring Clifford's risk to himself. Limited research has been done on the population of people serving whole-life sentences, but in Howard Zehr's book, Doing Life: Reflections on Men and Women Serving Life Sentences, one prisoner described life in prison without hope of release as a 'slow, torturous death.' Some look for another way out. '[Clifford] is a very dark character who obviously has immense psychological problems,' Acheson says. 'It was very clear there is no way out [of prison] for him, so the risk when a whole-life order is handed down is that [the prisoner] will take their own life.' While his case will never be reviewed by the Parole Board, depending on his behaviour as his sentence progresses, he could be downgraded to a Category B prison in the future. At some point, Acheson explains, he will be transferred to the 'lifer estate' – one of the prisons which has a high proportion of prisoners serving life sentences. Again, it is unclear where he will go, but one suggestion could be HMP Gartree in Leicestershire. The lower-security Category B prison is home to the largest group of life sentenced prisoners in England and Wales, and previously housed Ian Brady, who committed the Moors murders with his partner Myra Hindley, and serial killer Fred West. There is no telling how long this will take. 'It depends on the person,' says an anonymous prison worker. 'Someone like Levi Bellfield [the rapist and serial killer] – he's still in Frankland Prison.' According to Acheson, there is no doubt that 'he will have to be held somewhere for many years that's highly secure'. The biggest practical challenge of all could be keeping Clifford busy, and his severe medical condition will make this especially difficult. Like all prisons, HMP Gartree and other prisons in the 'lifer estate' follow a strict day-to-day schedule. There will be work, education and training programmes which, depending on Clifford's behaviour, physical ability and level of risk, he will be expected to take part in. Nothing, however, will be able to distract from the fact that in this case, life not only means life, but death behind bars. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
12-03-2025
- Telegraph
What prison will look like for crossbow killer Kyle Clifford
When the whole-life sentence was handed down yesterday, Kyle Clifford was not there to hear it. Clifford, who brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, her mother Carol, 61, and her sister Hannah, 28, with a crossbow last year, refused to attend court for his trial or sentencing. Speaking at Cambridge Crown Court, Mr Justice Bennathan was emphatic: for such horrendous crimes, Clifford would be handed the harshest punishment available under British criminal law. 'For each of these three murders, the sentence will be one of life imprisonment with a whole-life order,' he said. 'That means a sentence from which you will never be released.' So, what will life in prison be like for Clifford, with no hope of parole? He will be joining Britain's most notorious criminals in serving a whole-life order. There have only been 100 issued since the system was introduced in 1983, although their usage has increased in recent years. The penalty is reserved for the most serious of crimes – while prisoners sentenced to life serve an average of 16.5 years in prison, a whole-life order means Clifford will never be considered for release. Roughly 70 individuals are currently serving whole-life orders in English or Welsh prisons. They include Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered Conservative MP David Amess in 2021; Jordan McSweeney, who killed law graduate Zara Aleena in 2022; Wayne Couzens, the ex-police officer who kidnapped, raped and killed Sarah Everard in 2021; the serial killer Rosemary West, and, more recently, Lucy Letby, who murdered seven babies at the Countess of Chester hospital and attempted to kill seven more. In accordance with the severity of his crimes, Clifford will be held in one of the maximum-security Category A prisons designed for the most dangerous offenders, at least initially. 'There are only a limited number of prisons that can house those who have committed crimes of such gravity it must be impossible for them to escape,' says Ian Acheson, a former prison governor and senior adviser at the Counter Extremism Project. These Category A men's prisons include HMP Belmarsh, in London, where Clifford was held before his trial, and HMP Frankland, in County Durham. 'He has committed a crime so outrageous that escape must be made impossible,' Acheson adds. A prison worker and criminologist, who prefers to remain anonymous, explains that 'the immediate concerns will be for Clifford's safety – he'll be vulnerable to assault and attack, he might have a price on his head.' His medical condition – after shooting himself with the crossbow he used to attack Louise Hunt, her sister and mother, he is paralysed from the chest down – makes him especially vulnerable. 'Prison officers are going to have their own feelings about him,' she explains, as he is 'very high-profile, particularly newsworthy… [it is] a watershed case.' Usually, she says, 'I would be arguing against over-sentencing. But for Clifford, there is no getting away from the fact that he deserves the sentence he got. Prison officers will be thinking that, too.' Clifford is a former soldier, although Cambridge Crown Court heard that he spent a third of his three-year military career 'at home claiming to be ill'. This is unlikely to have an impact on his level of risk; according to Ministry of Justice figures from last year, approximately 3.6 per cent of the total prison population are ex-servicemen. After a period of assessment and observation, Clifford, 26, will be staring down the barrel of a potential 50-plus years – the rest of his life – behind bars. While the serious, sexual and high-profile nature of Clifford's offences means he could be considered at risk from other prisoners, Acheson suggests he is likely to pose a more significant risk to himself. 'He is notorious, and has committed crimes that are absolutely outrageous,' says Acheson. However, compared to the recent high-profile case of Axel Rudakubana, the teenager who murdered three children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last year, Clifford's victims were known to him. According to the unspoken prison code, this puts him a rung above those who killed indiscriminately or who harmed children. And, in the view of some prisoners, his notoriety could actually be an asset. 'He's going to be an immensely challenging security problem – because of his iconic status,' says Acheson. 'In prison, there will be warped people who will be attracted to that status.' Less than 24 hours before the triple murder, Clifford searched online for podcasts posted by the influencer Andrew Tate, described by the prosecution in court as the 'poster boy' for misogynists. Given Clifford is likely to spend a significant period of time in a high-security setting, or even in solitary confinement, he will not be able to access Tate's content, nor will he be able to socialise with prisoners who may share Tate's views. Given the hopelessness of his sentence, officers will be monitoring Clifford's risk to himself. Limited research has been done on the population of people serving whole-life sentences, but in Howard Zehr's book, Doing Life: Reflections on Men and Women Serving Life Sentences, one prisoner described life in prison without hope of release as a 'slow, torturous death.' Some look for another way out. '[Clifford] is a very dark character who obviously has immense psychological problems,' Acheson says. 'It was very clear there is no way out [of prison] for him, so the risk when a whole-life order is handed down is that [the prisoner] will take their own life.' While his case will never be reviewed by the Parole Board, depending on his behaviour as his sentence progresses, he could be downgraded to a Category B prison in the future. At some point, Acheson explains, he will be transferred to the 'lifer estate' – one of the prisons which has a high proportion of prisoners serving life sentences. Again, it is unclear where he will go, but one suggestion could be HMP Gartree in Leicestershire. The lower-security Category B prison is home to the largest group of life sentenced prisoners in England and Wales, and previously housed Ian Brady, who committed the Moors murders with his partner Myra Hindley, and serial killer Fred West. There is no telling how long this will take. 'It depends on the person,' says an anonymous prison worker. 'Someone like Levi Bellfield [the rapist and serial killer] – he's still in Frankland Prison.' According to Acheson, there is no doubt that 'he will have to be held somewhere for many years that's highly secure'. The biggest practical challenge of all could be keeping Clifford busy, and his severe medical condition will make this especially difficult. Like all prisons, HMP Gartree and other prisons in the 'lifer estate' follow a strict day-to-day schedule. There will be work, education and training programmes which, depending on Clifford's behaviour, physical ability and level of risk, he will be expected to take part in.
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- The Guardian
Crossbow killer Kyle Clifford to be sentenced for murders of mother and two daughters
John Hunt, a BBC racing commentator, and his surviving daughter Amy have arrived at the court. They have previously said their devastation over the murders 'cannot be put into words'. Share Guardian reporter Ben Quinn is among the journalists (from broadcasters and national newspapers) at Cambridge Crown Court covering the sentencing and will be providing updates throughout the day. Share Former soldier Kyle Clifford is facing life behind bars as he is due to be sentenced today for the crossbow murders of his ex-partner and her sister, and for fatally stabbing their mother. Clifford, 26, shot dead Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow and fatally stabbed their mother, Carol Hunt, 61, during a four-hour attack at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July. Clifford, of Enfield, north London, was also found guilty of raping Louise Hunt before he killed her. The attack occurred two weeks after she ended their 18-month relationship. Hannah Hunt (L), Carol Hunt (C) and Louise Hunt (R). Photograph: Facebook The women were the wife and daughters of the BBC racing commentator John Hunt. The hearing at Cambridge Crown Court will start at 10:30 GMT. The sentence will be passed at 14:00 GMT. We will bring you the latest developments from the court throughout the day. Expect to hear some distressing and potentially graphic content as the prosecution outlines the facts of the case. Share
Telegraph
07-03-2025
- Telegraph
Police force orders media not to report court evidence in free speech threat
In the email, sent by Hertfordshire Police's corporate communications department, the force said: 'We are writing to remind you of the Ipso notice below which has been issued. 'We are aware of some coverage going against this notice, and we ask you to please review your content that has been published to ensure it complies with the below.' The email then contained the Ipso advisory notice which had been circulated on Wednesday in advance of Clifford's trial. Clifford had pleaded guilty to the murders of his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, whom he killed with a crossbow, and their mother Carol Hunt who he stabbed to death. On Thursday, he was found guilty by a jury of raping Louise Hunt prior to her murder in July 2024. The women were the wife and daughters of John Hunt, the BBC horse racing commentator. 'Think they have more authority than they do' The demand by police that the media complies with voluntary guidance will raise concern among advocates of free speech. Harry Miller, a former police officer and free speech advocate, said: 'The police continually overreach. 'They think they have more authority than they do have. They have one job and that is to uphold the law. 'They are playing outside of their box yet again. They need to restrict themselves entirely to upholding the law.' Mr Miller, who fought a successful legal battle against Humberside Police after he was reported for a non-crime hate incident, said it sets a 'dangerous precedent'. He added: 'It is another example of the chilling effect on free speech. It will have a chilling effect on the fourth estate and I don't think the public can put up with that.' 'Editors retain full control of decision making' Ipso has been accused of threatening the key principle of open justice in the past. In 2022, it circulated a request from a former primary school teacher charged with slapping a horse that newspapers refrain from taking her photograph outside the court. Ipso operates a privacy notice system in which specific requests made by individuals and organisations are passed to editors and journalists. It has stressed that such notices are private and passed on on a confidential basis and that 'editors retain full control of decision making'. In a statement issued as a result of concern over the horse cruelty case, Ipso said at the time: 'Privacy notices do not prevent reporting on matters of public interest, including court proceedings, and do not supersede the standards set by the Editors' Code.' But last year, Ipso ruled against journalists reporting evidence given in open court in a decision branded a dangerous intrusion. In that case, Ipso said that details of a rape trial reported by the website Aberdeen Live had been an 'intrusion into grief or shock' of the anonymous victim in the case. The victim, whose identity is protected by law, had complained to Ipso that the website's report of a specific 'detailed description of her physical reaction to the attack' had contained a 'level of detail' that 'had retraumatised her'. Lawyers on that occasion warned that the case could create a 'slippery slope' in which the press regulator interferes in reporting on court cases held in public.
BBC News
07-03-2025
- BBC News
Kyle Clifford murders spark concerns over Andrew Tate content
The triple murder committed by crossbow killer Kyle Clifford showed harmful online content could "transform" into physical violence, a former culture secretary has claimed. Clifford, 26, murdered Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, in July 2024 and he was found guilty of raping Louise Hunt during the at Cambridge Crown Court said Clifford's actions were fuelled by the "violent misogyny promoted" by controversial social media personality Andrew Tate. Baroness Nicky Morgan said the case proved "so-called legal content can absolutely be deeply, deeply harmful to others". The BBC has approached Tate for comment. Clifford admitted murdering Carol Hunt, 61, with a butcher's knife and using a crossbow to fatally shoot Louise, 25, and 28-year-old attacks came two weeks after Louise Hunt ended an 18-month relationship with Clifford, from Enfield, north trial heard that in the days leading up to the murders, Clifford bought the crossbow online, and a replica Glock air pistol from a shop in Essex. Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Baroness Morgan said: "The harmful content that people see online can absolutely transform and transfer to physical, offline harm."Clifford had searched for self-described misogynist Tate's podcast the day before he carried out his four-hour attack, it was said during legal arguments ahead of his could only be reported after Clifford was found guilty of raping Louise Hunt, as Mr Justice Bennathan had excluded the evidence from the trial over concerns it would be his ruling, the judge said Tate was "almost a poster boy for misogynists" and the 38-year-old's prominence in recent headlines created a "great possible prejudice".Clifford's defence had also argued the Tate material he accessed was too vague a link. Baroness Morgan said challenges remained over how broadcast watchdog Ofcom monitored platforms such as said: "In this case, interestingly, yes, there was a video, but I think a lot of the Tate content is now delivered via podcasts."I think that's a whole new area for the regulator to have to look at."Prosecutors said Clifford arrived at the Hunt family home at 14:32 BST on 9 July, under the guise of dropping off Louise Hunt's belongings, before stabbing laid in wait for Louise Hunt to come inside the property before taping her ankles and wrists, raping and ultimately murdering Hunt was murdered after arriving home from work at about 18: will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
