A British man has been found guilty of raping his former girlfriend during an attack in which he wielded a crossbow and knife to murder her, her sister and their mother.

Louise Hunt, 25, Hannah Hunt, 28, and Carol Hunt, 61, were killed last July in their home in the country of Hertfordshire, about 40km north of London.

They were the family of a well-known BBC radio commentator.

Kyle Clifford, 26, had pleaded guilty in January to murdering Louise and her sister Hannah with a crossbow and their mother with a knife on July 9, 2024, but denied raping Louise.

On Thursday (Friday AEDT), the ex-soldier was found guilty following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court, said Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Clifford refused to appear in court to face the charges and the case was heard in his absence.

He will be sentenced next week.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner said there was overwhelming evidence that he had raped Louise Hunt as well as murdering her, her mother and sister.

“This was an appalling attack on a family,” he said.

“Clifford has remained a coward up until the end by refusing to appear at court and face up to his actions. Great lengths were made to ensure he could attend court including the location chosen for the trial, but Clifford chose to stay away.

“In stark contrast, the Hunt family have shown extreme strength and dignity throughout. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.”

The women were the wife and two of the three daughters of John Hunt, a well-known horse racing commentator for BBC 5 Live, the corporation’s news and sports radio channel. His voice is known to millions through his coverage of the world-famous Grand National and The Derby.

During the case, the jury was shown evidence that Clifford gained access to the family home in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Bushey, northeast of the capital, by deceiving Carol Hunt on the pretext he was returning Louise’s belongings, before brutally stabbing her to death.

The court heard that Louise and customers of her grooming business, which was based in a pod in the Hunt family’s garden, were using the gate at the side of the house “not realising what was happening” when Carol was murdered.

Clifford “lay in wait” for an hour for Louise to enter the house, before restraining, raping and ultimately murdering her with a crossbow. He then fatally shot Hannah Hunt when she returned to the property after work.

Prosecutors said Clifford had become “enraged” when an increasingly concerned Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They said he then “carefully” planned the murders, describing the rape of Louise as a “violent, sexual act of spite”.

Following the murders, police launched a manhunt for the suspect before he was found injured the following day in a cemetery in Enfield, north London. Clifford had shot himself in the chest with the crossbow. He remains in a wheelchair, having been paralysed from the chest downwards.

– With Associated Press