John Hunt was in tears as he described his ‘pride’ at the love his daughter Louise had shown Kyle Clifford before he murdered her, her mother Carol and sister Hannah.
The BBC horse racing commentator has given his first interview since their deaths alongside his surviving daughter Amy, describing the legacy of love the three women he adored had left behind.
Mr Hunt lives still in the family home where they died and told Victoria Derbyshire he speaks to them every day, throughout the day.
He also told how Hannah had saved his life by sending a text to her boyfriend before she died, which alerted the police, calling it ‘a gift from her’ because he believes Clifford intended to murder him too when he returned from London.
Amy and John said there was absolutely no indication that Clifford was abusive to Louise.
‘Did we have any indication that this man was capable of stabbing my mother, of tying Louise up, of raping Louise, of shooting Louise and shooting Hannah? Absolutely not,’ Amy said.
Her father then broke down as he said that Louise had dealt with the break-up with Clifford ‘perfectly’ – and read out the transcript of a TikTok video she had shared at the time called: ‘Don’t you feel embarrassed for sticking around that long?’
Pausing in places with tears in his eyes he went on: ‘Embarrassed? My heart is the best part about me. And who I am as a person. I will never be embarrassed for loving someone with everything in me because that is how I would want someone to love me. Yes it didn’t work out but I don’t regret loving him and how hard I loved.
‘I’m proud of myself for realising that love is always worth giving when when it may not be received. I truly think they needed that love a lot more than I did at that time and maybe this will be he reason they never treat a person like that.
‘So no I don’t feel embarrassed about loving someone deeply and wholeheartedly’.
Speaking from the heart, Mr Hunt choked up again and said: ‘And as you can tell from my reaction now. They weren’t Louise’s words but they could well have been. And I’m so proud of her for living like that and loving like that’.
An emotional John Hunt in his first interview since his wife and two daughters were murdered
An emotional Mr Hunt said his daughter Hannah had saved his life with a final text that would alert police to the murders and who was responsible. John believes Clifford would have killed him too
Kyle Clifford (pictured) raped and murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise, 25, and killed her mother, Carol, 61, and sister Hannah, 28
Hunt’s wife Carol, as well as his daughter Louise and Hannah, were murdered by Kyle Clifford
Louise Hunt (pictured), sister of Hannah Hunt and daughter of Carol and John Hunt, was killed
Hannah Hunt was killed alongside her mother and sister in the crossbow attack in Bushey
‘From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them. Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, ‘girls, sorry I can’t be with you, I’m with your mum at the moment’. As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. They’re very close to me all the time’, he said.
John and Amy recalled one Friday night last May, two months before the murders, when the three sisters had gone out for sushi together.
‘We were talking about how lucky we’d been as a family, to have had the parents we’ve had and the life we’ve had,’ Amy said.
John said Hannah came home from the dinner and she was ‘typically effusive’.
‘She came barnstorming through the door, and Carol said something like, “you had a lovely time?” And she said, “do you know what, mum? We talked about how lucky we have been. We have been so lucky. We’ve not had a minute of concern or worry through the lives you’ve given us”,’ he said.
‘It’s a beautiful thing to recall. It was a beautiful thing to hear at the same time.’
In her dying moments, Hannah messaged her boyfriend, Alex, and managed to call 999.
She was able to tell them what had happened and, crucially, who was responsible. John was in central London at the time. He believes Clifford intended to kill him too.
‘Police officers of 30 years’ experience had their breath taken away by how brave she was, how she was able to think so clearly in that moment, to know what she needed to do,’ John said.
Asked if Hannah’s actions saved his life, John adds: ‘That’s what I believe.
‘I said it in court and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I’ve used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis.’
But above all, every day he remembers Hannah’s final act, and how it saved his life. ‘I get to live,’ he says. ‘Hannah gave me that, and I’ve got to treat it as a gift from her.’
At Clifford’s sentencing, many cried as Mr Hunt paid tribute to each member of his slaughtered family in an emotional victim impact statement.
The racing commentator told how he could hear the ‘screams of hell’ waiting for Clifford after losing his wife and two of three daughters to the killer in July.
People sobbed as he described how ‘proud’ he was of ‘all my girls’ in the wake of their brutal murders – while Clifford refused to leave his cell.
Court artist sketch of BBC racing commentator Mr Hunt giving his victim impact statement
A court sketch of Amy Hunt, John’s surviving daughter, reading her powerful victim impact statement
In January MailOnline revealed how he had returned to work just 60 days after the deaths of Carol, 61, Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, as a way for him to try to deal with the unimaginable grief of losing them so suddenly and painfully, a friend said.
The BBC horse racing commentator is believed to have moved away from the family home where Kyle Clifford stabbed Mr Hunt’s wife and fatally shot two of his three daughters with a crossbow. His third child Amy was not caught up in the attack.
Clifford, who had been dumped by Louise Hunt, will never be released from prison having wreaked ‘devastation on an unimaginable scale’ for Mr Hunt and his surviving child Amy in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9 last year.
Just 60 days later John had bravely returned to work at the Brighton races ‘on a quiet day’ in September.
A colleague told MailOnline today: ‘Perhaps returning to work so soon was his way of dealing with the trauma.
‘All of us in racing were heartbroken. He is a fine broadcaster but the thing that struck us was how devoted he was as a family man. He talked of them all a great deal’.
Another friend said that John has clearly found some comfort in working again – but once a fixture in the press room and keen to chat about his family and beloved West Ham, he now keeps himself more to himself.
‘I saw him walking across the course alone recently. I fully understand why’, a colleague said.
John Hunt (left) is pictured with his family Carol (right), Hannah (second left) and Louise (second right)
Louise (left), Hannah (centre) and Carol (right) were murdered in their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last July
Mr Hunt shared a birthday message for his surviving daughter in January. He praised Amy’s beauty and strength after a harrowing year where their family was taken from them.
‘It’s what a proud father would say. And that’s John’, the friend said.
‘John is the very best of men. The esteem in which he is held by his colleagues could not be higher’, he went on.
‘John is the bravest man I know. And an incredible talent, with no ego. When I saw him he would always ask about my children and my family’, the friend said.
‘And it was the same with his girls – they were everything to him. He always talked about them.
‘He has huge compassion. And always lived for his family. He was so proud.
‘They were a family surrounded by good people – but it shows how one bad seed can get in and ruin everything’.
Since the murders race courses and officials all over the country have provided a crutch for him and tried to make him comfortable in any way they can.
Colleagues described hearing the news that his wife and children had died last summer.
‘There was a minute’s silence for his family at Newmarket and it was the most sombre and grave atmosphere because of the love for him. The jockeys were also bereft. They all knew him and trusted him’, one said.
‘He returned on one quiet day in September at Brighton and he chose that he because he knew he had to get back to work and stay at home with his thoughts. He came in into a quiet meeting and did his work.
‘John has no ego. When you are listening to John call a race it feels like a friend is talking to you.
‘He creates drama and makes it easy to understand. He’s the master of his craft.
‘He’s a massive West Ham fan and loves talking football but he’s got a job to do and wants to call a race with clarity. That is his focus’.
After the brutal killings the grieving widower urged people to ‘make the most of every day’ as his friend and fellow commentator Mark Chapman opened up about Mr Hunt having the ‘family unit he absolutely adored’ ripped apart.
Through the searing emotional pain, the loving father’s thoughts turned to Amy and his ‘biggest desire’ to make her life ‘a little less stressful’.
