An ex-solder suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend and two members of her family in a brutal crossbow attack is believed to have shot himself as the net tightened around him.
Former soldier Kyle Clifford was tracked down by armed officers to a cemetery in north London yesterday afternoon before being put on a stretcher and bundled into an ambulance when he was found injured.
The 26-year-old was taken to Royal London Hospital where he continues to be treated at a major trauma centre – officers have said ‘no shots were fired by police’ during the operation to apprehend him and say they are looking for no-one else.
Clifford had been the subject of a massive manhunt following the deaths of Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah, 28, and mother Carol, 61, at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire on Tuesday evening.
It is understood that the family, who are the daughters and wife of BBC Radio Five Live commentator John Hunt, were tied up and murdered with a 3ft-long crossbow with neighbours alerting police after hearing their terrified screams for help.
By the time police arrived at the property the assailant had fled, with officers believed to have contacted Mr Hunt as he returned from working at Lingfield Park course.
Although police and ambulance had rushed to the house, they were unable to save the three victims who died at the scene.
It comes as it was revealed:
Suspect Kyle Clifford with his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, who was one of the three victims
A huge manhunt is underway to find suspect Kyle Clifford, 26, who is the ex-boyfriend of John’s daughter Louise
The suspect can be seen receiving medical treatment on a stretcher in the cemetery in North London
It wasn’t long before detectives were on the trail of a suspect after a figure was seen darting out of an alleyway directly behind the murder scene. Clad in black, the man was captured on camera calmly striding away with what appeared to be a crossbow tucked under his arm hidden beneath a white sheet.
Chillingly, he passed within feet of a female neighbour, who stood alone on her driveway stroking a cat and seemed startled by the sight of the barely concealed weapon at 6.50pm.
Within hours, a national manhunt was under way for former soldier Kyle Clifford, who was named by police in a highly unusual step. The 26-year-old had previously served in the Queen’s Dragoon Guards for a short time before dropping out having failed to impress superiors, it was said last night.
As they attempted to track him down, police warned the public not to approach the suspect, who was last seen driving off from the cul-de sac in a grey vehicle the previous evening.
As police scoured the area, their attention turned to Clifford’s hometown of Enfield, with officers carrying out raids and locking down primary schools in a bid to catch him.
Armed police and paramedics were filmed on Wednesday afternoon running into Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the hunt continued for Clifford, a former soldier and security guard.
Later, armed police closed down the cemetery, a five-minute walk from the house linked to the suspect. Up to four black-clad officers – two carrying automatic rifles – stood guard at the cemetery gates, preventing members of the public from entering.
Meanwhile, an ambulance rushed into the cemetery grounds with blue lights flashing and sirens on just after 4.30pm after Clifford seemingly shot himself with the crossbow.
Around 20 minutes later he was stretchered from the scene and taken by ambulance to Royal London Hospital, where he received medical treatment overnight.
Kyle Clifford dropped out of the army weeks before he is alleged to have murder three people
Armed police searching Lavender Hill cemetery in Enfield as the hunt for fugitive Kyle Clifford took a new turn
Forensics were seen outside Lavender Hill Cemetery in Enfield as the manhunt for Kyle Clifford continued
Victim Louise Hunt is the ex-girlfriend of crossbow suspect Kyle Clifford
Hannah Hunt, sister of Louise and daughter of John, also died after being shot with a crossbow at the family’s £800,000 home
Carol Hunt, who was married to BBC horse racing commentator John Hunt (pictured together), was found fatally injured along with her two daughters at her home
John with his wife Carol, who was found with fatal injuries at their £800,000 detached house in Bushey, Hertfordshire
Carol Hunt (pictured) and her two daughters were tied up before being shot with a crossbow, MailOnline understands
Police confirmed no shots had been fired by officers and nobody else was being sought.
A London Ambulance spokesperson said: ‘Ambulance crews and London’s air ambulance attended an incident in Lavender Hill Cemetery, Enfield, this afternoon. We treated a man at the scene and took him to a major trauma centre.’
Tributes have since poured in for the family, with the BBC saying Mr hunt is ‘utterly devastated’.
Neighbours claimed Clifford had been in a relationship with the Hunts’ youngest daughter, Louise, but she split up with him a week ago.
Their parting is said to have left her so shaken that she recently crashed her car into a telegraph pole outside the family home.
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.’
A police officer walks down the road at the site of a triple murder in Bushey on Wednesday
An officer stands next to a police a car outside the scene of a triple murder in Ashlyn Close, Bushey
An aerial view of the scene of the suspected triple murder in Bushey, Hertfordshire
A blue and white forensic tent has been erected in the front garden of one of the homes in the cul-de-sac in Bushey where the killings took place
He added: ‘Carol was a nice, polite and quiet lady. She was at home a lot of the time.
‘They were all very nice, a private family. They all did their own things. Louise started a business a couple of years ago, and it was a thriving business – we all took our dogs there to be groomed.
‘A very close-knit family and they used to love the street. They’d had a lot of work done on their house over the years.’
Mrs Hunt, a mother of three, had recently told friends at her local gym that her youngest daughter was involved in a ‘messy break-up’ with her boyfriend.
One suggested her daughter’s relationship had turned nasty.
A friend said: ‘She said her daughter’s split with her boyfriend was messy. Carol did not go into too much detail, but you could see she was concerned.’
The BBC confirmed that Mr Hunt’s wife and two daughters had died and messages of condolence have been posted on social media by figures from the racing world.
The BBC has called the murders ‘utterly devastating’, adding in a note to staff: ‘Our thoughts are with John and his family at this incredibly difficult time and we will provide him with all the support we can.’
