Man in court accused of crossbow attack murders

A man has appeared in court for the second time in a day charged with the murders of a woman and two of her daughters in a crossbow attack at their home.

Carol Hunt, 61, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Louise Hunt, 25, were found fatally injured in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on 9 July.

Kyle Clifford, 26, from Enfield, north London, was arrested after being found injured in a cemetery near his home on 10 July, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

The defendant, who was also charged with false imprisonment and two counts of possession of offensive weapons, was remanded in custody after an appearance at the Royal Courts of Justice, London.

The victims were the wife and daughters of BBC racing commentator John Hunt.

Police had previously been unable to interview Mr Clifford while he received treatment in hospital, where he remained under arrest.

A brief court hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday morning was told the weapons Mr Clifford was accused of having at the Hunt family home were an MX-405 compact crossbow and a 10in (25cm) "butcher's knife".

Police and the ambulance service had been called to the property by Hannah Hunt, prosecutor David Burns said.

"Police attended the property - they found the front door was open," Mr Burns said.

The court heard that Louise had been found tied up. She had been shot with a crossbow.

Hannah Hunt had also been shot with a crossbow and their mother Carol had been stabbed with a knife and suffered multiple injuries, the court was told.

"They found Hannah Hunt lying in the doorway. She had been shot by a crossbow in the chest," Mr Burns said.

He added that Carol Hunt had suffered "multiple" knife wounds.

During the Westminster court hearing, Mr Clifford, appearing via video link from Kempston police station, Bedfordshire, nodded when asked to confirm his name and address.

District Judge Paul Goldspring remanded him in custody ahead of the hearing at the High Court on Tuesday afternoon.

Mr Clifford later appeared in front of High Court judge Mr Justice Johnson, again via video link.

No trial date was set because inquiries were being made about a suitable court for him to be tried in as a wheelchair user.

In a previous statement, Mr Hunt and surviving daughter Amy said their devastation at the killings "cannot be put into words".

A fundraiser set up to support them saw more than £120,000 in donations pledged.

Det Ch Insp Nick Gardner, of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: "We have been working hard to gather as much evidence as possible and establish the full circumstances of what happened that day.

"Although it has taken some time to reach this stage, we can now move forward with the judicial process and seek justice for their family."